


A Million Lessons

by TheSmolFlexibleBean



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: I don't know how to tag yet I'm sorry, M/M, Sorry Not Sorry, Through The Years of My Fave Cowboy, Very Bisexual Cowboy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 09:35:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 36,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8528047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSmolFlexibleBean/pseuds/TheSmolFlexibleBean
Summary: A cowboy on the run. A name draped in infamy. Innumerable close calls with death. Love was the LAST thing on his mind. But hell, there's a million lessons left to learn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Looks like this will be my first fic to write! I had some Hetalia ones but...Lost the original copies honestly. Hope you enjoy! Sorry I'm not that good at writing notes.

Jesse MCree wasn’t much when you looked at him. He was quite the scrappy kid in a large, filthy and unflattering flannel shirt. He also wore tattered jeans, seemingly held together by strands of its own denim and sported a mop of chocolate brown locks that stuck up, as his mom would say ‘Every which’a way’. What he was doing with a pea shooter in the middle of DeadLock territory was another thing entirely. He was hungry, thin on the frame with a need to get something, anything to get food. Orphans had it rough out here after all. His mama had passed away a few months back from illness and he had no idea where his father was and honestly didn’t care. His mom said he was from Mexico or something and honestly growing up in New Mexico made it all the more likely. Jesse had just been planning simple. Get in, grab some money, get out. That way he could at least survive without being picked up by some orphanage or worse...become buzzard food. He snuck through the building, trying to avoid knocking anything over in his worn out shoes. He was used to not eating every day, he grew up poor after all.

 

_“Lesson one, always tread softly mijo.”_

 

His stomach growled as if warning him of his impending starvation and he tried to focus.He heard voices not far off. Seemed to be some teenagers or something. Maybe he got lucky? He hoped so at least. He crept through the building, ducking down a hallway. If he remembered right there should be a safe around here somewhere. The building used to be unoccupied from what the other local kids had believed when they played in here but that safe was always too clean, too new. He darted into the room, silence around him and nothing but his own heartbeat drumming in his ears making him believe he was still alive. He saw the safe and crept ever closer, freezing when his foot hit a pipe and sent it rolling. The silence was deafening now, making a chill crawl up his spine. He couldn’t hear the voices anymore. Was that good or bad?

 

_“Lesson two, never take the quiet for granted.”_

 

He waited a solid minute, not moving, not breathing before he advanced. His steps were smaller now, softer as if treading on silk as he made his way to the safe and looked it over. This was definitely not an old safe that belonged here. It blended in at a first glance but the dust wasn’t thick enough. Honestly there was practically no dust on it at all! He felt over the frame, seeing if there was any switch on it, something he could break. Nothing...Guess this gun was going to help his ass after all. He only had one bullet in the thing, one shot. He had to make it count. He lined up the gun to what he hoped was the lock on the safe. He was a terrible shot. He knew this. He had to hope though. He put his finger to the trigger but was suddenly yanked up by the back of his shirt, yelping like a little puppy.

  
  
_¡Mierda!_

 

He kicked his legs, trying to wiggle out of his shirt as the person behind him laughed in glee. It seemed they hadn’t had ‘guests’ in a long time as they threw Jesse on the ground as he rolled and lost his little gun. He tried to get up but was stopped by a boot to his spine, making him cry out in pain. Did something crack or was it his imagination. Either way his back felt like it was on fire. A whimper left his lips as he tried to crawl away, something holding him in place. It was a boot. Shit he was in a lot of trouble now.

  
  
“Well look what we got here Jackson.”

  
“Yeah. Never seen a kid so small Liam. Wonder if Ma and Pa will wanna use him as target practice.”

  
  
A gulp escaped his little throat as he fought against the boot like a bug about to be crushed which only made the person dig his boot into his frail spine more. That was definitely a crunch...Shit. He was dead. His legs felt like they were tingling and he was crying. He didn’t want to die.

 

“Oh god he’s crying. What are you kid, five? At least have some dignity.”

  
  
“I’M TEN!”

  
  
He went rolling as he was kicked in the ribs, curling in on himself before being picked up and thrown over a shoulder, his pleading voice mostly escaping as sobs as he hit his small fists against the man carrying him. His small frame was wracked with sobs that shook him to the bone. This is what he got for all his trouble. He was going to die and become food for the buzzards and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

  
  
“ _Lesson three, remember the face.”_

 

His mama always told him to remember faces in case he lived through it. The one with the boots was thin with tan skin, a scar going across his left eye which was a milky white. His right eye was brown as the Earthen clay and had bright flaxen hair. The one carrying him was very muscular and white, slightly sunburned. His eyes had been what...oceanic? Some form of blue. And he had impure blond hair. Long with a ponytail. He could remember that. He would have taken in more if he hadn’t been tossed on the ground again and his hands and legs bound with rope. They shoved some sort of fabric in front of his face that smelled sweet, almost like apples in his mama’s homemade pies and soon enough his world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting into the thick of it! I'm just catching this up with my FanFiction account so there will only be one more chapter before a pause so I can write!

His eyes slid open as he groaned lightly, the light was piercing. Okay, maybe not piercing, but it gave him one hell of a headache. Shit where was he? His eyes slowly focused as looked around what seemed to be a moving vehicle. The clatter cans and the chatter of people supported his theory. He was kind of sure it was a van anyways. The bumps in the road were a good indication for him for the kind of terrain they were crossing, some sort of dirt road, or at least at least very dilapidated blacktop. He tried to struggle in his bindings but it only ended up with him going face first into the floor of...had they just thrown him into the back seat? Well great, he lost what little comfort he had. He was brought out of his thoughts by the vehicle screeching to a halt. Shit had they seen him fall out of the backseat? Were they going to kill him and dump the corpse in some forgotten ditch? Was this where his pitiful legacy ended? The familiar feeling of fear stung at his gut. He was scared he was going to die.

 

However, that didn’t seem to be the case. The muscular guy pulled him up by his bound wrists and he was slung back over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes, as carried into what looked like an old saloon-type place. How long had he been out? This definitely wasn’t Santa Fe. That was for damn sure. It almost looked like a tiny canyon. His mama always told him about this huge one somewhere, she'd go on about how beautiful it was, and how it had been carved by a river. He couldn’t remember the exact name at this moment, but he was too hungry, tired and too focused on other things to recall it. Before he knew it he was tossed down in the middle of the floor as people hooped and hollered around him. Was he some sort of prize or something? It was very unnerving to him. Soon a large man sauntered up and looked him over, sighing. This guy was a beast. His large frame loomed over his own, nearly casting a foot long shadow. If he wasn't face down in the floor he'd be quaking in his boots. He looked about as vicious as as rattlesnake, cunning as one too. The man looked fit to eat a heart straight from the body. His laugh was even worse. It was dry and hearty, like a sound someone would make when they knew how threatening they were. It echoed in his ears and rattled his bones.

  
  
“Well damn kid. You look worse than death. You got lucky. Usually those two just kill on sight. So. Join us, die or we leave you to the omnics. Take yer’ pick bucko”

  
  
He didn’t want to die. Not here, not now. He had two choices then. Join up, a scrawny kid still losing his baby teeth, or be left to whatever shitstorm the omnics had cooked up for little kids like him. He looked up into the man’s dreary eyes, shaking like a leaf.

  
  
“I-I wanna join!” he managed to croak out.

 

“Good kid. Someone get this kid some grub before he faints. Someone else hose him off. He smells like a wet puppy. Jackson, nab something for him to wear. When he can prove himself we’ll let him be branded”

 

_ “Lesson four, always take kindness with a grain of salt” _

 

Jackson groaned and headed off and other people seemed to be laughing. Apparently he just met the leader of The DeadLock Gang and lived. Wait...Was this like getting adopted? Well it was better than starving to death, right? Soon, he was dragged off out back of the saloon, stripped down, hosed off and towel dried before he was put in some baggy clothes and brought back in to be fed. He finished the first plate in under a minute, as if he had inhaled it. The next few plates followed suit. By the time he was done, six empty plates on the table were stacked high, and he was face first on the table with the dopiest expression on his face. He was actually full! He hadn’t ever felt like this before. The gang members mostly looked surprised and mildly impressed at the amount of food he are and how he practically inhaled it. 

 

_ “Lesson number five, never take a plate of food for granted” _

 

He was roused from his food-induced trance when someone snatched him up from his seat. Was he going to be treated like a ragdoll all of his life now? He didn’t really mind at the moment, seeing as how he was so full he wasn’t sure if he could walk or not. He was brought into a room that nearly looked as if it had been previously occupied by a child, and then tossed on the bed, rousing a cloud of dust. The room itself was dusty too, and it wasn't just desert dust. It was misuse dust. A kid hadn’t been in here for a long time evidently. The sheets made him sneeze when they were put on him. They were blissfully warm though. He definitely was enjoying that. A small comfort in his little hell. He soon enough managed to drift off, curled up in a little ball. 

 

He somehow managed to sleep like the dead, which honesty was his downfall when he was roused in the early morning hours by being shoved from the bed. He was handed a deck brush and a bucket of water, being told to make the room spotless. How in the hell was that even something manageable in the fucking desert? He tried anyways, scrubbing down every inch and shaking out anything that was made of fabric, beating it with a small bat he found in the room to get all the dust out. It wasn’t spotless per-se but it was clean enough. When the person came back they seemed to at least approve. 

 

For now they seemed to just be ‘raising him’ if that made any sense. They fed him and took care of him for the next year, teaching him to fight and to survive in the desert. That was when he finally earned his branding. Two DeadLock skulls, one on the back of each knee. It hurt like hell and he definitely passed out after the first one but it meant he had a family of sorts, he had a place he belonged, and it felt right. He was a gang member now and they even gave him back his little gun. Hell...If this meant he'd never have to worry about his next meal ever again it was definitely a good deal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for the day probably! I'll give you a warning now. There's a scene with blood and a scene with Masturbation. If either bothers you it's time to turn back now. Also thank my lovely editor for giving me the beautiful bedroom scene. It's great having an editor who is going to be an English Major.

It had been three years since he officially joined DeadLock. He’d grown more skilled with his gun and he’d been upgraded to a proper gun instead of rinky-dink toy he used to carry around. He still had it but it was more of a weapon for point blank now. He had soared through the ranks of the gang as well, treated like an actual gangster instead. He was still on the shit cleaning jobs at the main base on Route 66 but it was still better than being dead. Honestly everything was better than being dead. He wore whatever he was given. Today it seemed to be, simple baggy, jeans, boots and a red, cotton flannel shirt that was still a little big on him. He was a scrawny kid, with the beginnings of body hair sprouting on his arms. He had a little muscle though and his voice could never keep one octave. It was always cracking, especially when he was pissed. This time was awkward and sweaty. Something that was totally annoying were the random awkward boners he would usually wake up with or get during the day. So many tissues, so little time. Puberty really was a bitch. Currently he was sweeping the floors when he heard someone clear their throat behind him and he nearly jumped out of his skin, turning.

  
  
“Sir! Sorry!”   
  


“It’s fine. You have a job. Don’t fuck it up.”

  
  
“Course!”

  
  
He tossed the broom away, beaming as he raced out to the truck and hopped in the bed of it, gripping the side to keep secure as it drove off. Just in time! His hair whipped behind him and the wind blew the gritty desert sand over his clothing, coating it in red clay tones as he buried his face into his shirt. He needed to get a bandana or something if they kept sticking him back here...or maybe he could actually be fast and hop in the passenger door. There was a few other members of the gang in the truck bed, all much better suited and equipped for the elements than he was. He didn’t pay too much attention to his surroundings as they whizzed past. Desert is desert after all right? Not too pretty to look at.

  
  
_ “Lesson number six, take absolutely nothing for granted. Remember everything.” _

 

Man even all these years later and his mother’s lessons were still ringing true. He had wrote them all down in a small notebook he managed to nab off a corpse about a year back and maybe one day he’d even write his own. If he lived long enough. His chocolate eyes peered out the top of his fraying flannel shirt to watch the desert go by. Man there wasn’t much to see out there. Birds circling above, a lizard clinging for dear life to the side of the truck. Maybe it was a good idea to commit some of it to memory after all. It was where he was grown after all.

 

Soon enough the truck wheezed to a stop. He pulled out his guns, ready to fire off at a moment’s notice. Jesse wiggled his shirt into place and followed the lead of the others, staying quiet, his breath held. Nothing like being in the middle of something and your voice turns into a cartoon character. He wasn’t having that at all. His face went completely serious as the people in front kicked the doors to the bank open and people started shooting. It didn’t take long for Jesse to join the fray, guns blazing. He immediately ducked behind an overturned table, bracing his back against it as he lifted up occasionally to pop a few shots off and reload.

 

**Note to Self One, Never leave a soul alive.**

 

He lined up a shot and fired, the bullet entering the guy between the eyes as the gunfire finally wound down. He came out from behind the table and a bullet struck him in the side, making him wince and choke back a yelp as he ducked behind the table and gripped his side. Blood seeped through his fingers as he tried to keep pressure on the wound. A low puddle began to form at his side. With a grunt and a shout he conjured a plan.

  
“Someone throw me a knife!”

  
  
“What?”

  
  
“JUST DO IT!”

  
  
He caught it as it was thrown to him and he pulled his shirt up. Not too deep. Hell he could almost see the end of the bullet in him. The blood was another manner. He’d seen plenty of blood before but never his own. He got the blade into position and dug the bullet out, trying not to scream. He heard the clink of the bullet before he ripped his own shirt off and pressed it to the wound. He’d seen other gang members do it all the time but hell it hurt more than he imagined! He took calming breaths as the other gang members got the loot and dragged him out, tossing him in the truck bed as they drove back. The rest of the day went by in a blur almost, people talking but him not really hearing. It wasn’t until he was in bed it all sunk in. They were threatening him about fucking up again. That he was a shit shot. That he wasn’t doing any jobs until he could think normally and shoot straight. The room had drastically changed too. Blue walls with peeling paint were replaced with beige, the paint long gone now and all sorts of little trinkets he picked up lined every wall and piece of furniture along with a small dart board with all the darts stuck in the wall.

 

_ ‘Shit Shot’ _

 

He sighed and winced as the pain in his side, bandages covering his lower abdomen. They at least brought him back a ‘souvenir’ of sorts. A stupid hat. A god damned hat they stole off some rich guy’s corpse at the bank whilst he was removing the bullet from his flesh. It was perched on the dresser nearby, as if mocking him. At least the pain seemed to be dulling down. He stood from his place and headed down the corridor of the base, headed to the bathroom for a disinfectant. His boots clicked down the hall as a soft ‘shhhh’ echoed. Someone was probably in the shower, most likely Collins. That ass hole was always scrubbing himself head to toe. Without much of a thought he walked in without knocking, and that's when Jesse MCree knew, he fucked up. 

 

There stark naked, freshly peeled from her clothes, stood Jennings, the boss’s girl. To be perfectly honest, she had a nice rack, and some damn fine curves. A loud ear- piercing shriek echoed out once their stun wore off. He shook his head quickly and shut the door, apologizing profusely from the other side. He rushed off to his room to recover.

 

“Well that sure was somethin’” Jesse mumbled under his breath.

 

With a crimson face and a pounding heart, he climbed into his bed, stretching out and trying to forget what he'd just seen. He rolled onto his stomach, a pain in his crotch alerting him of more ‘pressing’ business. He groaned and rolled onto his back, glaring at the tent in his jeans.

 

“Fucking shit for timin’, “ he grumbled moving a hand down to tease at the bulge, palming lightly, causing a great reaction from his painfully erect dick. Being the impatient teenager he was, he shoved his hand into his pants, feeling himself up, before kicking off his pants and pulling up the blanket. Once he found the position worthy of his comfort, he closed his eyes and let his hands and mind wander. 

 

First thing that came into his mind was Jennings and her perfect rack. Double fucking D’s. Next was her curves and her easy-on-the-eyes appearance. With an abrupt change, his mind wandered to the fit as fuck Farris. He worked usually on solo missions and some weird drug shit, but damn was he fine. Tight ass, sculpted calves, washboard abs and a big thick- wait…. Why was he thinking of a dude. Yuck! He shook his head and continued the task, keeping his mind on sexier things.

 

Eventually he finished, cleaning up with a tissue. He rolled onto his stomach, letting fatigue take him over, letting his mind linger on the sculpted body of the agent, deciding he'd keep this his little secret.

  
  
His sleep didn’t last long though as someone moved in the room and dropped a box of tissues on his head, startling him out of slumber. Shit they heard! He pulled the blankets over his head as his cheeks lit up bright red.

 

**Note to Self Two, Close and lock the damn door.**

 

Once he was all healed up, he was mostly on cleaning duty, the hat constantly being placed on his head as a sort of joke. Ironically, he was growing fond of the dusty hat. He almost looked like a little cowboy. Boots and all. What he needed now was a ridiculously big belt, and you have a cowboy in the making. He’d read all sorts of books about cowboys when he was recovering. Their own brand of justice with a side of edge. He could be like that! He totally wanted something like that. On the open range, answering to nobody but themselves. Not to mention, people liked and respected cowboys.

 

Over the next year he seemed to adopt the cowpoke persona more and more. He was even starting to act like a mature gang member. He’d been sent on a few solo missions by this point and he was finally fitting in the clothes he was given. Hell he had muscle to spare now! He also solved his desert air problem with a little ingenuity and a red bandanna around his neck. Now if only he could get a damn beard going. That seemed to be the one place he wasn't growing hair. Damn. Oh well, at least things were finally turning around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I know everyone has noticed now. I don't use McCree. I use MCree. I actually have a reason for it I swear. It has something to do with Blackwatch but I can't tell you yet~
> 
> \- Different lessons are in different fonts. His mother is Italics. His are bold. Just wait till you see the rest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so me and my editor got together and wrote another chapter. I have no regrets. Also enjoy the fact McCree can't spell or pronounce his name right. That was my little inside joke. Sorry everyone.

Seventeen years old. He actually had lived to be seventeen. He honestly expected to be dead by now and his scars were getting deeper by the day. He holstered two pistols at his hips now, his tiny gun now mounted on his bedroom wall. It served as a regretful reminder of who he once was and a sign of improvement. But if he wasn’t careful it could be where he could end up. A broken orphan, who was dirty, down, and starving, a child who couldn’t even spell his own name, now in a gang. Speaking of his name, pronunciation was an issue. Knowing how thick his mother’s accent was he was probably pronouncing it wrong all these years too. This is why he always went by Jesse. It was easier and people didn’t make fun of him then. He’d finally grown into a beard of sorts...If a goatee and stubble honestly counted as a beard. He wore his hat with pride now too, his bandanna now long discarded for a new one since he had majorly grown in all aspects. Well, most aspects. He still tended to get awkward boners but he could take care of them much more efficiently now. Cold showers were a blessing in the hot desert for more than one reason.

 

He sighed as he ended up tying his hair back, it having grown too long to just leave be at this point as he yawned. He looked himself over in the mirror. Hair needed to be brushed...He needed to try to shave so it didn’t look like peach fuzz. He was missing a shirt...Where even was his shirt right now. Oh yeah, hanging up to dry over a chair in the main area. He really needed a belt too. His ‘new’ jeans were loose on his hips. He could swear they were women’s pants but he wasn’t going to complain about it. He knew better. He’d seen what happened to people who disobeyed. DeadLock Justice is what they called it. He could still remember that poor kid’s face as he was dragged off into the gorge and shot in the knees. One bullet a piece. Then they handed the gun to Jesse. He had to look that child in the eyes and shoot between them. That wasn’t even the last time they made him do it either. There was many more after the kid, each with different reasons for disobedience. Different ages, different personalities. Each unique. It was honestly draining to think about. Had he even been sleeping right these days?

 

_ “Lesson number seven, sleep when you can.” _

 

“I’m tryin mama. I’m tryin but it’s hard.”   
  
He shook his head and left the shower room as he picked his shirt up and slipped it on. The brown fabric was much more durable than the flannels he had always worn before. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the bar and leaned against it, taking the top off and taking a sip. He was seventeen but at this point he felt at least forty. It didn’t help that little kick to his spine as a child had healed incorrectly and now when the weather changed he could feel it coming in his back. It also gave him piercing headaches. He was paying the price of being a malnourished orphan even now it seemed. He placed the whiskey back on the counter and put the top back on as he looked over the others. He had a cold expression to his features and newer members knew not to cross him. He had a short fuse and a shorter reload time. That’s when he felt it. That change of pressure in his spine. He winced a little as it traveled up to his head. Big storm was coming...Great. He moved away from the bar to look out the window of the little hideout. Yep...He could see the dark clouds rolling in and...Was that a helicopter? What the fuck!   
  
He hit a panel on the wall, sending out an alert as he darted into his room and grabbed his guns, holstering them and heading out. He knew he had to be sneaky, become the desert. It wasn’t the first time DeadLock had been ‘bothered’ recently. They were losing territory left and right from some hero group and they never left anyone behind even if it meant slaughter. He could almost parallel it to the gang he resided in but on a different pathway in life. He smirked as he got into position, guns loaded and cocked in his hands. He was ready.

 

It didn’t take more than two minutes before the gunfire erupted over the gorge and throughout the dinky town he called home now. He didn’t need a signal before he was in the fray, guns blazing and dodging all sorts of shots. He was taking in information faster than he ever had before. These guys had fucking turrets! He knew how to knock one out though. One shot up any turret barrel would knock into their ammo and blow ‘em. He was darting to and fro, taking out people left and right as he kept taking in information. 

  
Two of the men stood out in the crowd. One was blonde and definitely a leader. The other was...shouting in Spanish. Jesus Christ he hadn’t heard a string of swears that long since the time his mother dropped a hot pot of water on the cat. Fluffy didn’t survive that but hey, it meant they had edible meat. He shook the thought from his mind as he rolled for cover. This time it was an old car. Damn they were taking out the gang like they were nothing! This wasn’t just some assholes trying to clear them out. This was the real deal. Life and death. He could hear one of those leaders getting closer and got ready. Three bullets left in each gun and then he’d be out of ammo. He knew the Spanish speaking one wouldn’t be nearby. He shot him in the leg. He could swear it. Or had it been the ass cheek. He steadied his breathing and got up quick, firing off the shots at...Nothing. He was right there! Hadn’t he been? His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder which caused him to turn. The last thing in his vision had been a tanned fist speeding towards his face. Damn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, buckle up kiddies. We're going Reyes style in this!

God his head was spinning. Was he even alive? He couldn't open his eyes...Or were they blindfolded? He couldn't tell. Hell, he couldn't even feel if he had a body. He didn't even try to force a noise from his lungs, seeing as how everything was going as of right now. Nothing. Shit. He was probably dead. He just hoped whatever being came after this would take pity on his soul.

" _ **Si...Yeah he's still out of it. Hm? No."**_

Shit who was that. Was it God? No. Why would God be saying someone was out of it? Maybe an angel? No...Satan. He was going with Satan. No voice that gravely could be an angel unless they were some sort of bodybuilding deity. Could deities even be body builders? Man he was too out of it to be having a religious experience right now. Not that he was a very religious man in the first place. Well, not since his mother died probably. Her funeral was probably the last time he even stepped in a church. Whatever, that wasn't the problem right now. He should be focused on wriggling out of whatever confined him as of this moment.

" _ **Quit strugglin' kid. You're making my job difficult."**_

What in the world? Who the hell did this guy think he was?! MCree jerked his wrists back, trying to get a feel for what he'd been bound with. It felt like some sort of cloth. Cotton? No. Silk? Nope. Fuck it anyway, not that he needed to know. He was trying to assess the situation was all. Speaking of assessing the situation, something had been stuck in his mouth. He knew that that was. His fucking bandana. The grit of the sand, and tinge of the dirt lingered on his tongue.

" _ **Ay, Dios mío. What the fuck did I just say kid."**_

Suddenly he was aware of everything. He could feel, think, and most importantly, panic. A string of muffled curses and such rang from his mouth, being stopped by the fucking bandana. Nothing seemed to be more important to him at the moment, but the pressing loss of his sight and speech. The young cowboy grunted, starting to thrash about, then noticing a large figure come into view. His sight seemed to be clearing.

" _ **Dammit Reyes, you didn't need to hit him so hard. You could've killed the kid."**_

" _ **At this rate I'm starting to think I should've-"**_

_**  
**_" _ **Chill it. We'll see what the others think. He was too young anyways."**_

_**  
**_" _ **Tch…Ana's gunna have a field day.."**_

More voices? No, only two. Once his vision seemed to be fine, he began to analyze the situation more clearly. He seemed to be on his knees, feet and hands bound in a Helicopter? Jesse shuddered. Heights were never really his thing. He looked to the source of the voices. A tall dude, pretty tan and buff a couple scars, and intimidating as hell. He swallowed, watching him converse with another one. He was blonde, white as fuck, and pretty ripped too. He felt scrawny compared to these guys. Were they on steroids or something?!

" _ **Ana isn't part of the mission Reyes."**_

" _ **Aw c'mon Morrison, got a dick stuck up yer ass?"**_

" _ **Reyes I swear to god i'll kick your ass square to Sunday."**_

Reyes? Morrison? He'd have to remember that.

Soon enough, the two stopped talking, and the tanner one, Reyes apparently, seemed to look his way. A chill went through his body as those cold, cold eyes seemed to pierce his soul. He was dead. He had to be. No eyes like that are meant for the mortal world. He didn't even know how long the plane ride was, lost in those judging eyes. Man if he was ten years old again those eyes would have made him piss himself on the spot...though honestly he almost did that when he was put in front of the DeadLock leader. Why was he making so many parallels right now...Oh yeah. He was trying to distract him mind for those eyes. He managed to tear his gaze away and stare at the helicopter floor and assess his situation. His hat. Where even was that. One glance about told him. Tossed on the ground like trash. Whoever did that was getting punched. That was _his_. Nobody touched the fucking hat. Nobody. He couldn't spit out his bandanna either. Whoever got it in there had gotten it to the point where even trying to move his jaw nearly made him choke on it.

When the plane finally landed the guy named...Reyes. Yeah, Reyes dragged him by his bound wrists into a building. What he could see from other helicopters was he wasn't the only one captured. Shit was that Farris? He hadn't seen him in months...He got tan. He shouldn't be thinking about that right now!

**Note to self, focus instead of fucking looking at others.**

He focused on his surroundings and took it in. Seemed like a building, not many windows, maybe four floors? No...Two. Two floors. The outside was pretty plain. This definitely wasn't what he planned his day to turn out like. He'd planned to shave and try to hit on one of the girls again today. Maybe go pick off some police or help 'persuade' someone. Not to get bound, gagged and dragged from the only place he considered home. He took in every door, every hall, every face until he was tossed into a room. At least he was given the relief of having his hands unbound but not enough time to swing out and attack the bastard before he was shoved. The door only opened slightly for his hat to be tossed in as he fished out his bandanna and tossed it away, coughing. His mouth felt drier than a bleached skull in the desert sun. A few more coughs managed to get some sense of wetness to his mouth as he rubbed his wrists.

Rat bastard. He got up, perching his hat atop his head and grabbing the bandanna to wring it out as he paced the room. Why were they keeping him here. He would have honestly preferred death. The longer he had to wait the more he seemed to twitch and need to distract himself. A guy like him couldn't sit still in silence for long. It was unnerving. The silence meant he was dead. Silence was the one thing that always got him in trouble. Silence was the reason he ended up in DeadLock and not on his own...Well maybe silence wasn't all that bad sometimes but right now it was driving him mad.

Once his bandanna was dry enough he tied it around his neck and started pushing the only chair around, knocking it over in a sort of teenage tantrum almost about being caught. Eventually he ended up trying to flip the table but that was screwed to the floor. The room had no windows either. No escape except the door. _Fun._ He eventually ended up sitting on that table, tapping his fingers against the cold metal surface. Almost reminding him of the only time his mother took him to a doctor. He'd been about five at the time, squirming and smiled with gapped teeth as his little legs swung with glee. That was when they had money. Before they were poor. He sighed and shook his thoughts away.

" _Lesson number eight, don't dwell on the past Jesse. It just brings heartache."_

"Couldn't be more right…"

He lightly gripped his shirt over his heart. His mother had taught him that lesson with tears in her eyes. The day he asked if he had a father. He could remember his mother's voice cracking as she explained that he left the day she found out she was pregnant. She changed the story every time before that. A handsome Scotsman who left to fight. An Irishman who never came home. A Welshman, a Brit. He didn't even know which was the truth anymore. He didn't even care, to be honest. He was snapped from his thoughts by the echo of heavy footsteps outside the door. Coming or going? Coming. The echo was different from someone walking away from the door. Seemed to be coming from the right of where he was sitting. He let his hand drop from his shirt and moved to get his feet on the table, ready to pounce. Like hell he was going to go down this time without a fight. He checked his holsters quickly, a force of habit now. Of course they took his guns. Well he didn't have the bullets for them anyways. They would have been more like bludgeons.

The anticipation was killing him. When was this guy gonna come in? The steady crescendo of what sounded like a whistle suddenly pierced his ears. Wait, he knew that song, he knew that _tune_. Why was he whistling a Louis Armstrong song? Why was he whistling in general?! The young cowboy turned his head to glare at the door, over his shoulder and drop from the pouncing position. He was unnerved by it all and decided to just sit down on the table, facing away from the door. He didn't need this shit in his life. As soon as the doorknob turned, he quickly snapped his head forward, glaring at the mirror, which was obviously a two-way.

" _Well, look what the dust-storm blew in. A lost pup, who's in a shit ton of trouble"_

'Reyes' grabbed the chair that he threw aside in his 'tantrum' and sat in front of him, hands folded neatly, and eyes intimidating as ever. Jesse couldn't bear to stare into the eyes of Satan himself, so he just focused his eyes on the wall. Reyes cleared his throat. A large hand reached across the table, grabbing his chin and tuning it to face the other, roughly. Jesse could feel sweat soaking his shirt from under his pits.

"I ain't here to play games with you."

"And I ain't here to be bossed around by some two bit Mexican."

Shit his voice cracked...curse his nerves. Curse his voice, curse this situation, curse it all.

Reyes sat back, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. The silence was deafening. Jesse had to start tapping his fingers against the metal table just for some bit of sound to fill the void. Anything to destroy the silence.

The silence was interrupted by Reyes, letting him go, standing from the chair and giving a sassy nod. His heavy footsteps echoed out as he walked in front of the kid, giving him a deep glare. Mcree tried not to seem too phased. Why was he just standing there? What was he gonna do? Hah, nothing.

"Heh, pussy." Mcree muttered quite cockily.

That was when Jesse Mcree knew he'd officially made the worst mistake of his life. Reyes grabbed him by the neck, squeezing and pushing him off the table, knocking the wind flat out of him. He'd landed on his back, hearing a pop. That wasn't good. He could feel the nerves being crushed like when the DeadLock boys found him trying to steal from the safe.

Before he had a chance to scramble back to his feet and cause mayhem, a heavy boot was pressed onto his sternum.

"Wanna run that by me again dust pup?"

Mcree bit his lip, trying not to come back with a sassy retort. He grabbed the other by the ankle and managed to wrench himself up to a better position. Knowing he couldn't push the other off, he did what he could think of.

 

_**CHOMP** _

 

"ARGH, LIL FUCKER BIT ME!"

Jesse smirked to himself, getting the other off his chest long enough to hoist himself to his feet. Reyes instantly reacted, grabbing the other by his collar and smashing the brat into the nearest wall. Fists started hailing from Reyes, every which way he could think of, ending sharply with a knee to the groin, then letting go. Jesse could feel a few teeth leaving his mouth, as well as blood trickle down his face. This guy was ruthless, and Jesse had to find out the hard way, crumbling to his knees before the guy, hands clamped between his legs. The situation was only worse by the warm rubber of a boot being pressed against his face.

"You're such a piece of shit, you know that? You're gonna sit down, listen and answer my questions, or I'll kick the shit outta you, ya hear?"

Jesse breathed heavy, looking at the other with such an intense glare, he could burn a hole through the guy's skull. Quite begrudgingly he nodded and breathed heavily, trying to get the wind back in his body.

"Good pup."

And with that, he was hoisted by the back of his shirt and plunked in the chair Reyes had been sitting in. Reyes dragged another chair from the corner and plunked down in it, running a hand down his face. This guy seemed tired, unshaven, and most of all, pissed off. Just how long had they been tracking the DeadLock down?

"Name?"

"Jesse.."

"Last name. Ya shit.."

"Mcree."

Wait. That asshole had a look to his face. He seemed to be looking up and down at a paper he'd pulled from his jacket. What? Was he deciding whether or not to turn him in for the bounty? Heh, it would be better than wherever the hell he was right now.

"Repeat that."

"What?"

"Repeat your name."

"Jesse Mcree?"

"Uh, no?"

"What the fuck do you mean 'no?' it's my goddamn name!"

"You're mispronouncing it."

"AM NOT!"

"It's McCree, not Mcree, you fucking moron."

"I-..."

Jesse blinked. Was that really how it was pronounced? Holy Shit. That explained quite a bit. Jesse frowned and glared at the other. He waited for the onslaught of questions to continue.

"Age?"

"Nunya.."

"Age...now"

"What's it to ya?"

Reyes stood again, walking to the other, grabbing his hand, squeezing it, and taking off the glove from the other. He grabbed him by the arm, giving it a tug, as if testing his arms. What did he want?

"What, ya gonna hold my hand or somethin'?"

"Every Time you don't answer a question, I'll break a finger… I'll ask again, age?"

Was he really gonna do that? No way. He huffed and shook his head, turning away from the other. That asshole wasn't gonna do shit. He was all bark and no bite. What a fucking idiot. Why, even if his life depended on it he woul-

 

_**CRUNCH** _

 

Jesse let out a scream of pain, losing the feeling in his finger. That Son of a bitch. He didn't think he'd actually do it!

"WHY THE HELL- YOU SON OF A BITCH. AAHHH GOD DAMN!"

"Age?"

"YOU BROKE MY GODDAMN FINGER!"

"Age?"

"SEVEN-MOTHER FUCKING TEEN!"

"Good."

He whined and looked down, his pinky on his right hand was bent entirely backwards. WHAT THE FUCK?! THIS DUDE WAS CRAZY OR SOMETHING! He whined and lay his head down on the table in defeat, hand remaining in the others hold.

"Hometown?"

"Santa Fe, New Mexico."

"Whooo, You're a long way from home, ain't cha?"

"Shut up."

"Weaponry?"

"A pistol."

"Home address?"

"Ain't got one."

"Phone?"

"Ain't got it."

"Affiliation?"

"Deadlock."

"Rank?"

"Ain't allowed to tell ya."

"Rank."

"Ain't gonna tell ya!"

Reyes put pressure on his ring finger, threatening to break it completely. Jesse swallowed and looked at the other, panic rising in his stomach.

"I..I'm sworn to secrecy!"

Reyes was unrelenting, keeping his pressure the same. After a stare off between the two, Jesse frowned, looking at his finger. The pride of his gang in his stomach and his head held high. He wasn't gonna rat out the people he considered family! His friends, the people who saved him, they were all Deadlock. He didn't know if any of them were alive anymore- but he needed to-

 

_**CRUNCH** _

 

"AAH SON OF A BITCH! I TOLD YOU I'M SWORN TO KEEP THEM SAFE!"

"Does it look like I give a rat's ass about keepin' them safe? Most of 'em are dead anyways."

"Wh...What?"

"Yep, dead as doornails."

Jesse felt an ache in his chest. They were gone? The…the people who raised him up from near death? No. They couldn't be. Hot tears threatened to fall from his face. Not from the pain of broken fingers, but the pain of a broken heart.

A hiccup.

A sniffle.

Then came the tears.

Fan- _fucking_ -tastic.

He knew he shouldn't have done that. Now the kid was crying. Great. He dropped the hand he'd been using as leverage against the boy. First the sass, now he had to deal with the whining and sobbing of this kid. Where was his parents? Actually, probably dead. Damn, that gang must've been all he had. He knew that feeling all too well.

"Ay, stop the crying."

More sobbing.

"I said stop!"

More crying.

"Please stop-"

More hiccups.

Christ almighty. Jack warned him of this kind of shit. Why didn't he listen? Oh right, it was Jack. He sighed. The parental stuff wasn't his schtick, but hey, it's better than hearing this. Reyes pulled a black bandanna from his pocket and tossed it at the kid.

"Listen…Stop crying. I know that shit hurts, but you can't lay down and call it quits. You gotta just go. Ya know?"

That seemed to get Jesse's attention, his heart had been shattered into millions of pieces, but for some reason, this asshole was trying to help? That unique brand of comfort that seemed to be coming from this guy was…nice…to say the least. His shaky hands took the kerchief and wiped off his face with his good hand.

"Right.. Listen, I'm gunna give you a choice since you're young and shit. Jail or Overwatch."

"Wh...Whats Overwatch?"

"Well, technically you'd be Blackwatch but whatever. It's a group of heroes goin' around and doing their civic duty, protecting the people from omnics."

"But… I'm no hero…"

Reyes felt that. He knew how this kid felt. No parents. No place to call home. Not a possession in the world but the clothes on your back. That was all too familiar to himself.

"Neither am I."

Jesse looked up at the other. Reyes seemed to be glancing away, arms folded across his chest. He…. knew how he felt… didn't he? He knew that pain. That hopelessness, that fear, that sorrow, it was familiar...wasn't it?

After a long silence passed between them Jesse finally replied.

"O...Overwatch."

Reyes matched Jesse's eyes, a slight smirk on his lips.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

  
_**"LESSON NUMBER ONE KID, ALWAYS TELL ME WHAT I WANNA HEAR."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Song Reyes is whistling is Louis Armstrong's A Kiss to Build A Dream On [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ObJ9_LckE ]  
> \- McCree finally realizing he's been fucking up his name all his life. It was in his POV so that's why the spelling was off.  
> \- The return of Farris in this though and the Ambiguously Bisexual Cowboy. Yes he's a reoccurring theme~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look I finally updated! You can blame the semester ending on this one and Thanksgiving being tomorrow honestly. And procrastination. A LOT OF PROCRASTINATION. Aaaand Pokemon Moon. My Litten is named Jesse now!

First night, first light. The first sentence in the new chapter of his life. Blackwatch. Jesse yawned and stretched out his arms. He'd been given a bunk and a spare change of pajamas. They actually gave him pajamas! This was a new concept entirely for him since he usually slept in his underwear. Made it easier to scratch his...nevermind. 

 

The cowboy lazily gazed about the room, a dull throb from his fingers. Did the bastard have to break his fucking fingers? At least they’d been splinted...He had that going for him. It was his shooting hand though. So that was going to be  _ fun _ for a while. He definitely enjoyed the fact he had a bed to himself again. He didn’t like that as of tomorrow he’d be leaving America for God only knows how long. He’d never even been outside the Southern US, much less the country itself...Well unless you counted the runs through Mexico but honestly the desert just blended together. He couldn’t tell where the border was if he tried. He yawned again, looking at the pajamas. That wasn’t him. He wasn’t a pajama kind of guy. He decided to strip and sleep in his underwear instead, dreaming as peacefully as he could manage.

 

_ “Mijo...Wake up mijo.” _

 

_ “Mmmm five more minutes mama.” _ _   
_ __   


_ “Jesse Jandero Havana McCree!” _

 

_ “Comin. Comin. I’m up.” _ _   
_ __   


_ Jesse was seven years old, hair sticking up all over the place, clad in his baggy shirt and loose-fitting pants his mother dug out of a dumpster. He had a slight sunburn to his face and the biggest tooth gap one could ever witness. He’d gotten caught sticking pieces of seed and rocks between it and getting it stuck there often. He rubbed his little eyes as he stumbled out of the closet he used as a bedroom. _ _   
_ __   


_ “Mama it’s too early.” _ _   
_

_   
_ _ “But Jesse we have money. Come on. I want to go to the market and get some fresh fruit. No more stealing it. Rápidamente hijo.” _ __   


_   
_ _ His little eyes lit up in glee. Actual fruit? Not just whatever he could nab off the ground? He ran over and grabbed his mother’s hand. Wow...her hand was pretty cold. She must not have slept very well. He didn’t think too much of it as he walked with her down to the market, the brightest smile on his face as they bought real food. He was carrying as many bags as his little arms could hold as he walked with his mom. He only then noticed she was walking slower than usual, her beautiful thin face and dark circles under her eyes more prominent than he remembered. She paused, clutching her chest a little. _ __   


_   
_ _ “Jesse. Can we sit on the bench a moment? I’m a little tired.” _ __   


_   
_ _ “‘Course mama.” _ __   


_   
_ _ He put the bags down in front of the bench as he found a stick and drew in the dirt. He was making all sorts of shapes and words like his mama taught him. Sure, she wasn’t home a lot but she still wanted him to know things. When the sun was setting he yawned and turned to the bench. Was she napping? He walked over and gently shook her. _ _   
_ __   


_ “Mama? Can we go home?” _ _   
_

_   
_ _ There was no response and he quickly grew panicked. Why wasn’t she waking up!? _ __   


_   
_ _ “M-Mama?! Mama! MAMA!” _ __   


_   
_ _ Tears came to his eyes as he rushed off to go find the local priest. Father D’ la Cruz. He rushed into the church, tears rolling down his face as he grabbed onto the robes of the older man, streaking the white cloth with the colors of the ground. _ __   


_   
_ _ “H-Help! Ayudame!” _ __   


_   
_ _ “Jesse? What’s wrong.” _ __   


_   
_ _ “M-Mama won’t wake up. Ya gotta come help!” _ __   


_   
_ _ The priest looked worried and took his little hand as he ran to where his mother was. The bags were gone but he didn’t care. He wanted his mama to wake up! The priest checked her over once before sighing and scooping up Jesse. _ __   


_   
_ _ “NO! YA GOTTA SAVE HER! MAMA!” _ __   


_   
_ _ “She’s...Gone Jesse. She’s died.” _ __   


_   
_ _ “B-But!” _ __   


_   
_ _ “I’m sorry.” _ __   


_   
_ _ The priest called for some people to help carry his mother as he tried to calm and clean up the little boy. There were lilies in the casket and Jesse refused to leave it’s side, tears rolling down his face. She was gone, the only good thing in his life. His own mother. She passed without him even knowing! His sobs caused him to hiccup. It wasn’t fair! None of this was fair! She was a good woman! She was a great mom! She had been working to get them out of this hell and it got her nothing but her own demise. His sadness turned to anger at the thought of the world destroying his happiness. That’s when he vowed he’d get enough money to get out of this town. He’d get the life his mama never had. He- _

 

**BANG. BANG. BANG.**   


  
“Get ‘yer ass up hombre. We have shit to do.”   
  


Ugh.  _ Reyes _ . Why did he have to come so early? Jesse slapped the pillow over his head, trying to drown him out, eyes managing to land on the clock. 7:40 am? Ugggghhhh! He would’ve never had to get up  _ that _ early before this whole Overwatch shit.    


  
**BANG. BANG. BANG.**   


  
“Get up McCree, before I drag yer naked ass out here for everyone to see!”

 

“I don’t get up until noon, at the very least.”   


  
Reyes seemed to go quiet. Oh God, finally, maybe now he’d get a few extra seconds. He lay on his stomach again, face buried in the pillow and body completely relaxed. The world started to feel easier and easier. He finally began drifting back off to sleep. Maybe Reyes wasn’t such a-   


 

  
**BOOM**

 

The door was blown in. Fucking great. He nearly pissed himself, and let out a loud yelp. There he was sprawled out on the bed, in nothing but his underpants and his door blown in. Reyes didn’t seem to be taking any of that bullshit.  _ Fuck _ .   


  
**_“Rule number two, you get up when I say.”_ ** he grumbled between his teeth, grabbing the younger by the hair. OW! OW! DAMN! This guy was definitely going to be his worst enemy here. The warm feeling of the bed left his body, and the sudden shock of the cold tile smacked against his body. Reyes kept true to his word.    


  
With his face planted clear into the tile, and ass stuck straight up in the air, he’d decided he was going to hate this day. He groaned as the heavy sound of Reyes’s boots sounded behind him.  _ Please don’t kick me. Please don’t kick me. _ _   
_

__   
A sudden “Eh-hem” from a voice he didn’t recognize caused him to jolt up. His eyes met with a woman dressed in blue, an odd beret perched on her head, and some sort of eye makeup under her left eye. She was glaring at him, with a somewhat disappointment in her face.    


  
He suddenly felt self-conscious, trying to cover himself up with the blanket from his bunk for whatever reason. He felt so small under this lady’s gaze.    


  
“Reyes, get this boy dressed” she spoke.   


  
“Had to get him up first Ana” he replied in a very nonchalant way.   


  
Ana? Hm, seemed simple enough. He stood up, feeling the shame of his current state on his cheeks as the blanket fell away. He frowned and glared at Reyes on his way back into the bedroom, earning a smack to the back of his head.    


  
“Owww..” Jesse whined.   


  
“Shut up and get dressed!” Barked Reyes.   


  
That was enough to get him going. He hurried into his room and grabbed his….. freshly washed clothes?? Who the hell- Never mind. He quickly grabbed his clothing and threw it on, the hat coming last. 

 

Reyes stood, arms crossed and mouth into a firm frown. Beside him, Ana stood, tapping her chin, as if thinking about something. He felt small under their gazes. It wasn't very appealing to him.

 

“Take a damn picture… it'll last longer…” he grumbled at the two, still grumpy from being up early.

 

“Reyes, make him work” she stated before turning heel and heading to another room. 

 

Jesse swore he could hear a low “Gladly” from that asshole. Reyes turned away and started walking. 

 

“Come on kid, we're gunna get laps in.”

 

“Laps?”

 

“Yeah. Laps.”   
  


 

The two made their way out of the pristine base, and into the open. There seemed to be some sort of track, along with a bunch of equipment, Jesse assumed it was for exercise. What he didn’t expect was Reyes shooting the ground at his feet. He got the idea pretty quick as he started running around the track. So this was laps. Man they were boring and tiring, especially since Reyes was firing that gun at him. He could tell they were blanks. He hoped so at least. After twenty he had to stop just to catch his breath. It didn’t help Farris was being dragged out for laps too. Man...Farris was really buff. Looks like he put up a fight too. Honestly he was glad to witness that ado-   


  
“DID I SAY YOU COULD STOP!”   


  
Dammit. Commander  _ Culo apretado _ was still on him for these stupid laps? He sighed and started up again, secretly keeping in step with Farris and talking with him.   


  
“Hey Farris! Been a while.”   


  
“Jesse daaaaamn. You got big.”   


  
“Heh yeah right? I’m glad you’re here. Means we can cause some ol mischief.”   


  
“Well dunno if we can. I mean they run a tight ship here.”   


  
Jesse blushed a little at the other as he laughed. Deep green eyes, that dirty blonde hair that always seemed to stick out at the ends and curl like a girl’s. The way his jawline was coated in a slight beard that didn’t really match his hair color. The tanned skin and musculature. Jesse managed to trip over his own feet and go face first into the rack, hearing his nose crack. Dammit not again! He groaned as he sat up, tasting the blood on his lips as Farris stopped and went to him, kneeling down.   


  
“Shit you okay?”   


  
“Yeah...Yeah. I just tripped. No me carińes.”   


  
“Clumsy idiot.”   


  
_ Clumsy idiot. Shit shot. _

 

Dammit was his heart racing from the running or Farris being a few inches away from his face. Why did those words seemed to ring in his ears like a song. Their moment was interrupted by Reyes yelling at them like a king. 

 

_ Reyes like the Spanish word for king. Rey. _

 

Dammit why did he have to think about this. He got up and held his nose as the blood threatened to stain his clean clothes. At least Reyes stopped yelling at them. What was on his face...Concern? That would be a laugh.

  
  
“McCree. Go back to your room before you bloody up the track! Farris, finish your laps!”

  
  
“Sir!”

  
  
Well Farris seemed to be getting into this whole Blackwatch thing already. Maybe he was just playing good until they could bust outta here. Farris had placed a hand on McCree’s back, it lingering a few moments and he shivered a little. Those fingers had ghosted over that specific spot in his spine...Was that intentional? He went to his bunk and laid down on his side, his jeans feeling just a little too tight. Curse his hormones…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Yes I gave Jesse a few middle names.  
> \- Low key consulted with my friend in Tijuana  
> \- If the Spanish still isn't correct please correct me


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look who updated! Me!

Finally it was time to leave for Geneva. He dragged himself out of the bunk, looking at the clock. How the hell was he awake at 5 in the morning and not tired?! Oh yeah...He slept most of yesterday. He quickly got up and stretched, wincing when his back let out a sickening crackle noise. Almost sounded like burning logs. He let out a shaky breath and tried to get his spine back into place. He didn’t need this right now. Once that was taken care of he went over to where his belongings should have been...Oh that was right they were all still at the Deadlock base. Fucking hell...No gun, fingers splinted. For once he was glad his current girlfriend was his left hand. He went to place his hat on his head and stopped, placing it down after a moment. There was a mirror in the room and he went over to give his appearance a onceover. 

 

Well there was still dried blood on his face. Oh well. Came with the territory he figured. He still looked like a scruffy teenager. He still wished he could have shaved. Wait wasn’t there a bathroom attached to his room? He went to the bathroom door and sighed in relief. Maybe he had enough time to clean up before Reyes dragged his ass out? He got his underwear off and stepped into the shower. The water was oddly warm as if someone had showered before him. Well he had seen a connecting door so maybe bathrooms were shared? He tried not to think about it as he cleaned up, the water turning a rusty color as it swirled down into the drain. It felt odd to have the desert washed off himself but also a little refreshing. No more sand in uncomfortable places. He probably wasn’t the first teenager to complain about sand and definitely not the last, but who cared? He even managed to wash his hair and when he was done he decided maybe it was a good idea to wrap a towel around himself in case of another Reyes attack. He didn’t trust the guy as far as he could spit honestly and he could barely spit at all with the dry desert life he lived. Once he was all cleaned up he went to the bathroom sink and looked for a razor...What the hell was this. It looked like some gas station throwaway. What was wrong with a straightedge! Oh wait...They’d probably classify it as a weapon wouldn’t they?

 

He worked with what he was given and shaved quickly before shaking his hair out from the water and heading into his room. Huh...They’d left clean underwear for him. Surprising. He got dressed finally and put the towel to his hair to try to get some of the wetness from it. Well it was better than being hosed down at Deadlock. Thinking back to it he wondered what would even become of his belongings. Everything he had left there...would they burn the place to the ground or blow it up? Reyes probably would make him watch, the sick bastard. He shook the thought from his head as he got dressed. Seems they had gotten him different jeans since these definitely weren’t the jeans he had on last night. When he finally managed to get everything on he saw his bandanna was at the bottom of his clothing like a reminder of his past 48 hours. He still put it on. Jesse managed to clean up his bunk, mostly at the request of ‘His Highness’ _ King Reyes _ the night before when he had been woken up to eat. Wait that was actually pretty clever. He’d have to remember that for later.

 

After perching his hat on his head he gave the clock one final look. 6 in the morning. Well Reyes would be here for his tan ass any minute now so might as well make it interesting. He sat on the bunk, legs crossed and waited. He didn’t have a door anymore since it was blown in and wouldn’t work now. What he didn’t expect was a duffel bag to come flying in and hit him in the face which also knocked his hat off.   


  
“That’s your stuff. Come on.”   


  
“Ow...How’d you know I was even there!”   


  
“Because you’re easy to read and I could hear the bunk’s springs. Come on. Plane leaves in a few minutes.”   


  
He rubbed his face and grabbed the bag, placing his hat back on as he ran out to join his new ‘leader’. God you could smell the arrogance off this guy. He was soon led out to a plane and Reyes shoved him on as he tripped over...fuck those were body bags. _ Full  _ body bags. He was relieved at the names though. Jackson and Liam. The bastards deserved it honestly since they still liked to fuck with his back. God just thinking of it made his back hurt. Well at least Farris was on this plane with him so he could relax. He saw the woman again who was glaring him down. God it was like she found his stash of porn and he was being scolded like a twelve year old. A mom glare! It was like a mom’s glare. Come to think of it she did remind him a little of his mother except a lot scarier. He almost didn’t notice the plane was taking off until he felt his back pop and he held his head with a groan. He could play this off as air sickness right? God he hoped so. He heard Farris gently hold him up and leaned into his arm. Farris quickly spoke up to cover Jesse’s little problem.   


  
“He’s never flown before. Air sickness.”   


  
“Hm. Why isn’t it affecting you?”   


  
“I flew all over Nevada as a kid. This is like breathing.”   


  
Had the man been a kid with dreams of the sky at some point? Jesse couldn’t tell that was for sure. It seemed to satisfy Reyes though so that worked. When they reached cruising altitude his back seemed to simmer down pain wise. Or maybe it was just going numb. He decided to take the opportunity to open up the duffel bag. Black clothing...Not his. Tiny pea shooter gun. Definitely his. Picture frame with photograph of himself as a child with his mom. Man he was only 5 then. They’d gone to some county fair and Jesse had pie all over his face, grinning with his wide tooth-gap. There was a couple of posters too along with some personal items. Well guess the black clothes was going to be his new ‘outfit’. Probably would end up baking in it honestly. He didn’t think too much of it though and made sure to put the more personal items away when something brushed his hand. He pulled out a necklace with a symbol on it. It looked like a pin  _ The King _ had on his sleeve. Was this his now? Either way it was pretty shiny and he wasn’t going to say no to free shit. He put it on and slipped it under his shirt before relaxing into Farris’ side. The guy might be muscular but he was still a good cushion.

 

A couple of hours into the flight Reyes got up and went to where the body bags were, opening the plane door. He could see some sort of water. Was it the ocean? He didn’t have long to think on it before Reyes was shoving the body bags out with his foot. The way they fell and splashed definitely wasn’t normal...was it? He couldn’t tell if they had sunk or floated as the plane kept on its pace. Would he end up like that if he disobeyed this fucker? This really was out of the frying pan and into the fire wasn’t it. He’d never be able to escape this asshole now. He shut his eyes and sleep came over him as he listened to the plane and his own heartbeat.

 

_ Jesse laughed as he rolled around in the dirt, his mother sighing softly and shaking her head. It was the county fair and Jesse had just ruined the new clothes his mother bought him, dirt everywhere and in every crevice. She gently scooped him up with a smile. _ _   
_

__   
_ “Jesse I just got you those and now they are positively filthy! I swear you’re going to become the Earth with all the dirt you attract.” _ __   


__   
_ “But mama it’s fun!” _ __   


__   
_ She laughed lightly as an announcer called for the kid’s pie eating contest and Jesse wiggled out of his mother’s arms to rush over to the table. He wanted a good spot after all! All sorts of children showed up, all middle to low class. The prize was a shiny blue ribbon after all and he wanted to give it to his mama if he won. _ __   


__   
_ “Ready...Set...Go!” _ __   


_   
_ _ Jesse tore into the pie like it was the last thing he’d ever eat, hands behind his back and a fire in his eyes. He’d been secretly practicing with the kids from his town by nabbing pies off windowsills. When time was called he’d eaten two whole pies and actually won by a whole pie! That and most of the other kids had thrown up and one ended up being allergic to cooked fruit and was being taken away by some sort of doctor people. The announcer pinned the bright blue ribbon to his shirt and his mother lifted him up as a picture was taken. He could dream like this fore- _

 

**_SNAP_ **

 

He winced and his eyes shot open as the pressure changed. Ah...They were landing. He rubbed his eyes and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Snow. Actual fucking snow! Man it was like fluffy clouds on the ground, soft and glittery. Maybe more like that silver plated suit of armor he once helped steal. Definitely a mix of the two. When the plane finally landed he was positively grinning as he got up and grabbed his bag, practically bouncing when Reyes opened the door. All that energy quickly disappeared when he felt the cold wind rush into the cabin. Holy fucking shit that was freezing! He shivered and rubbed his arms as he walked out of the plane and his shoes hit the snow with a crunch. He was both in delight and freezing. His head was pounding from the temperature change. This was literally hell on Earth. Geneva, Switzerland. He stuck close to Farris as they were ushered inside the base. The temperature change from blue balls freezing to normal spring weather just made his headache worse. Shit he could feel something wet on his face. Was it sweat or a nosebleed. He quickly used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe under his nose. Blood. Dammit not again. He quickly took his bandanna off and put it to his nose, not caring if it got a little bloody. It would at least hide it.

 

Shit Reyes was talking and he totally missed it. He nudged Farris to give him a quick summary and thankfully got it. Bedrooms were on the second floor. There was a track outside. There was a gym on the bottom floor inside and training grounds and...Jesse wasn’t allowed access to the training grounds. Well then, he was definitely going to at least look later on. With that Reyes and Ana headed off. Guess they were left to their own devices then? Well with the way the temperature was both inside and out maybe it was better to wear those dark clothes after all.   


  
“Hey Farris. Bet I can get a better room than you!”   


  
“Yeah right.”   


  
They both smirked and took off running, climbing up the staircase to the second floor and looking at bedrooms. Looked like they all had name plates on them. They both stopped when they saw theirs. Next to the same door. Jesse immediately was regretting this all more than before. Farris and him were going to be sharing a room. He did a double take to the name plate and nearly snorted. Holy shit Farris’ first name was fucking HENRY?! That was beautiful. Hilarious yet beautiful. Farris opened the door and Jesse got a nice view of the room. Two cots, one bathroom door, two closets and shelving in the closets. Plenty of wall space and one computer. Well it was better than a prison cell even if this felt like jail. Farris immediately claimed the bunk on the right side of the room, closest to the bathroom. He didn’t mind and set down his duffel bag down in his closet, putting his personal items on the shelf. The blue ribbon, the photograph, the pea shooter gun that didn’t work anymore. Every memory of his childhood in little trinkets and lost promises. He looked at the clothes after that, the only thing left in the bag. Well he might as well. He grabbed the clothes, left the bag in the closet and sat down on his cot, dropping the bandanna from his hand and taking his shirt, shoes, hat and pants off. Farris let a wolf whistle out from his side of the room and Jesse couldn’t help but blush.   


  
“Hey no starin!”   


  
“Can’t help it cowboy.”   


  
He rolled his eyes and slipped on the short sleeve black shirt and the pants before tying his bandanna back on, leaving his hat on the cot for now. Well it wasn’t no flannel but it was nice enough for being inside. There was already other clothes in the closets for all types of weather at least so he’d never be too cold. He was so lost in his thoughts for a moment he didn’t even realize Farris had walked over and was mere inches from his face until the other kissed him.  **_HOLY SHIT HE KISSED HIM._ ** He let out a startled noise and fell back, hitting his head on the wall and trying to recover.   


  
“W-What was that for!”   


  
“Because you’re cute.”   


  
“You’re twenty fucking five!”   


  
“And you’re seventeen. Who cares. I’ll stop if you want me to.”   


  
“W-Well no…”   


  
“That’s what I thought.”   


  
Farris was moving in to kiss him again when the intercom system came to life.   


  
**“All agents to the training grounds including new recruits.”**

 

Wait did he count since he wasn’t allowed? Well he might as well find out. Farris was already out the door as Jesse got up, his lips still tingling slightly. He made his way down to the first floor and headed for the training grounds. Shit, ‘His Highness’ was outside the door. As he went to go into the door Reyes grabbed him by the bandanna.   


  
“No. You’re going to the medical wing.”   


  
“But-”   


  
“With me. I know there’s something wrong with you and I want to make sure it isn’t life threatening. Don’t need your corpse stinking up the place.”   


  
Dammit. He huffed and was dragged off down a hallway, barely keeping in step. He didn’t believe Farris then. Did that mean he was lying? He wanted to know for sure. A door slid open as Reyes deposited the young cowboy onto a stretcher.   


  
“Anagrin. Check him over. I gotta break in recruits.”   


  
“Yes sir. Please don’t fill my med bay up too much okay?”   


  
“Yeah, yeah.”   


  
Anawhatnow? Well there went him remembering names. He seemed a little nervous to be in a medical room. After all, the last time he saw a doctor he was 5 years old...after the pie incident. He found out he couldn’t eat large amounts of desserts that day. But hell it was exciting! He finally focused on the woman when she cleared her throat.   


  
“There is nothing in your medical file since you were...five years old. When was the last time you saw a doctor?”   


  
“When I was five.”   


  
“Oh my…Alright. Shirt and pants off. I’m doing a full check up on you.”   


  
He stripped without a thought and shrugged. The woman was pretty enough and he didn’t mind her looking over his body. She started writing as soon as his clothes were off. He wondered what she was writing. Probably something about the scars. He had enough to spare from his years as an orphan and in Deadlock.   


  
“Alright...Lie on your back.”   


  
“...I can’t.”   


  
“You...can’t?”   


  
“Yeah. I can’t.”   


  
The woman quirked a brow and walked over, going behind him and pressing along his spine. As soon as she hit that spot he winced and muffled a yelp of pain. His mother told him not to lie to doctors  but...Damn he was regretting this now. The woman only made a noise of acknowledgement and went about writing again. Well there went that secret.   


  
“Your back. Does certain things cause headaches? Temperature, weather changes, altitudes?”

 

“...Yes ma’am…”   


  
“I see. Alright.”   


  
She went around him and went to a cabinet, pulling out a bottle of pills and giving it to him. Heavy duty pain medication. Well...That would definitely help. The rest of their time together was discussing his life and what medical issues he has. Apparently when the two assholes broke his back it healed wrong and there was some bone slivers dangerously close to his spinal cord. The problem was that they were healed in that position so the only way to fix it would be to either shave them down with no idea of success or fixing his spine altogether with bioware. Neither option they could currently do. The doctor was not a surgeon after all. They usually had someone off base for that. The painkillers he had taken were finally kicking in at least and with a few vaccinations he was allowed to go watch training...with a back brace on. At least it was easy to hide under his shirt. When he walked into the training room he was expecting something like a gym or like that one kickboxing place him and George broke into one time. 

 

No...It was a pit. Well a pit in very relative terms. There was a big hole that looked like it had once been a rectangular pool but now had its walls covered in padding and mats covered its floor. Agents were sitting on the edge or standing and shouting. Some cheered. Guess training meant actual fighting training. Reyes locked eyes with him and made a ‘come here’ motion which he obeyed. He at least got to sit down at the edge.   


  
“Dying?”   


  
“No.”   


  
“Good. I’ll read the report later.”   


  
Guess only the doctor, Farris and Reyes would know his secret for now. That was okay. It meant that less people would know his weak spot. The less people that knew, the better his chances were. Reyes lit up a cigarette and offered it to Jesse which he took with no second thoughts. Now he could at least relax a little and watch people train in the fight pit. Honestly he could watch this all day but was distracted by a very bruised up Farris sitting next to him and smirking.   


  
“They rip your spine out?”   


  
“Nope.”   


  
“Good because  _ I want to be the one who makes you scream first.” _

 

He audibly gulped and crossed his legs. Stupid Farris and his flirting. Honestly he had half a mind to push Farris into the pit but he ended up being the one pushed in by Reyes. Shit he wasn’t supposed to be in here was he?! He got up fast, scared before Reyes leapt in.   


  
“Alright kid. I want to see what you’re made of.”

 

“But the doctor said-”

  
“To hell with that. Come on.”   


  
Jesse’s face went serious and he got ready, launching forward and getting flipped onto his back as he yelped. Fucking shit! His head was pounding now and his vision was blurry. Reyes stepped back, smirking.   


  
“Well you definitely need more discipline and training.”   


  
“F-Fuck you…”   


  
“Farris. Drag him to his bunk.”   


  
“Yes sir.”   


  
He heard someone sliding down and then someone hooked him under his arms as he shut his eyes and was dragged out to the cheers of the other agents. He definitely was going to get stronger and smarter so he could one day beat him at his own game.   


  
**Note to self, don’t go headfirst into a fight with His Highness.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I never meant for this to turn into a slow burn fic  
> \- The necklace will be very important later on  
> \- I have new ideas that weren't going to happen when I started this  
> \- YES FARRIS AND JESSE IS A THING RIGHT NOW BUT YOU WILL SEE


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH LOOK I'M UPDATING AGAIN! I have finals on Monday so this is my last chapter before finals!

Finally he got those damn finger splints off. Six god damned weeks of getting his ass handed to him by the king because he couldn’t fight back. Now he was working up his strength, trying to learn where he stood in the damn place. At least the way to vent frustrations seemed to be kicking asses. Farris was always off on missions now too which meant he had a lot of time on his own. 

His first week in Geneva was spent getting a ‘lay of the land’ to remember. Escape routes, places to hide from Reyes, places to  _ make out with Farris without being caught. _ Those were the hardest places to find. By the end of that week he had seen every room except the ones Reyes barred him from. One such of them was the ‘gym’. He had peeked inside once and it was literally just like a fitness place, machines and punching bags everywhere. He had also found a library of sorts down one of the halls. It had things he couldn’t even understand. Reyes had probably seen him struggling with a simple novel since the day after he found it there had been children's books and writing practices on his bed when he went for one of his strolls. Farris had gotten a kick out of seeing that. Reyes found out another of Jesse’s secrets. He couldn’t read or write past a child’s level.   
  
The second week of his healing was spent cleaning every surface Reyes could find until it shone like polished chrome. Jesse had been reading and writing between his ‘royal chores’ and was already up to a middle school level. Farris had taught him as well when they weren’t lip locked in closets in the middle of the night. Halfway through the week when Farris was on a mission Reyes found Jesse smoking out back, a jacket and warm beanie on to keep from shivering.   
  
“It’s three in the morning vaquero. What are you doing.”   
  
“Can’t sleep.”   
  
“What. Missing your lover?”   
  
“No. Just can’t sleep.”   
  
There was an audible sigh behind Jesse and something was dropped into his lap. Sleeping pills. He’d never taken them before but he figured Reyes was just trying to help. He still didn’t understand how this man could be a literal satan incarnate one minute and like a...like a dad the next. He tucked the pills into his jacket and looked at the sky as snow fell softly onto his face.   
  
“Hey...commander.”   
  
“You can call me Reyes you know.”   
  
“Whatever. Why did you even want me to begin with?”   
  
“Want the truth? I didn’t at first. Farris made me take you. Something about potential and you turning over a new leaf. I figured out what he meant. Now? Well you remind me of someone I once knew. Someone who I knew a long time ago.”   
  
“Glad to know.”   
  
Reyes had ended up leaving after that with no more answers. The end of week two he found the files on himself in Reyes’ office after picking the lock. Jesse McCree. Son of a Mexican-American woman and a rich Scottish man. Seems the Scottish man...what kind of name was Alisdair honestly...died by his own hands in a factory accident after leaving Jesse’s mother for dead. Wow his life was some sort of play on a Scottish tragedy wasn’t it. He placed the papers back into the folder and snuck out, hoping he wouldn’t be caught. Reyes smacked the back of his head and gave him yet another lesson later in the day.  **_Don’t leave any evidence when sneaking about._ ** He had left indents in the carpet and a handprint on the desk but how was he supposed to know it was some sort of test! That only led to him getting covert training which honestly was fun when it came to the disguises. It wasn’t fun getting smacked about when he fucked up. Somehow it all stuck for him.   
  
Weeks three through five were spent learning and training as best as he could, his hand getting better by the day and his sass getting more outrageous. He was reading at a high school level and writing at a middle school level but that was the best he honestly was going to do. Farris even snuck him into the gym to work out so he would stay in shape. He wanted to be ready to kick Reyes’ ass one day so he needed the exercise. Laps in the snow only brought you so far honestly and he wanted to be in a good enough condition to kick some ass.   
  
Now it was week six and he was finally able to bend all his fingers again. A little stiff but he could manage. Apparently Overwatch was also coming over to ‘inspect’ the place or something. The King was definitely on edge that was for sure. He even covered up the fight pit! Jesse had learned more than he had cared to admit in the six weeks like school kid lessons and adult lessons. Things about covert missions and how Blackwatch really functioned. It was the cleaning crew of Overwatch. They took the jobs that were too dark, too nasty for ‘heroes’. All of it was under wraps though which explained a lot of the hiding of stuff. They even put filing cabinets in front of the stairs to the basement. He always wondered what was down there but didn’t ask. Everyone came out and were milling about, the atmosphere a fake calm. There was a tenseness in the air that was easy to miss if one wasn’t used to being in Blackwatch. Fake smiles, fake laughter. Then they arrived, led by the man he should have shot that day. Jack Morrison. There was also a hulking guy in...armor? He wouldn’t ask. Also someone who looked like a dwarf. I mean the guy had a fucking toolbelt what was he supposed to assume! Then there was Ana and...did she have a kid in her arms?

  
  
**_Don’t assume anything._ **

 

Another Reyes lesson coming forward into his mind. At least he still wrote them all down. Hell he even transferred them into a separate journal so he always had a copy for his room and a copy on his person. He watched the small group come in and mingle, most of them talking to older agents or trying to talk with the newer ones. The child managed to escape her mom and went over to Jesse. A cute little dress with a ribbon, tanned skin, short hair with gold braided in and shining eyes. She looked like a tiny version of her mom but she was actually smiling. He gave the little girl a smile and she actually laughed.   
  
“You look weird!”   
  
Oh...This girl was sassy. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her insult, if it even was one.   
  
“Well to me you look a bit weird too.”   
  
“I’m Fareeha.”   
  
“Pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m Jesse. Ana your mom?”   
  
“Mhm! She’s the best!”   
  
“Oh really, gonna get all the bad guys?”   
  
“Yeah!”   
  
Wow was he like this as a kid? He ruffled the girl’s hair and she ran off laughing. She was like a ball of sunshine. It was amazing. It also seemed his kindness was noticed by the other Overwatch agents. Apparently the ‘dwarf’ was actually a talented Swedish mechanic named Torbjorn. The hulking armor guy was Reinhardt and was German and part of the Crusaders. Jack was...Well, Jack was Jack. Reyes was always shit talking him when people were paying attention but also mumbling his undying love for him when he thought nobody was paying attention. It all thankfully went smooth enough and the Overwatch leader gave Reyes ‘good marks’ or something. As soon as he was gone Reyes whistled.   
  
“Alright let’s get some shit done.”   
  
Oh he knew exactly what was going to happen.  _ Fight pit _ . He got up and made sure his back brace was off as he headed to the training room. Everything that had been hidden away was out and Jesse was practically bouncing with joy at finally having a possible shot at not being laid out by Reyes constantly. He sat down at the edge as people were preparing to deal with the stress and petty feuds of the past week. It seemed the best stress relief was busting each other’s faces in. When most of it died down someone decided they wanted a piece of McCree.   
  
“Oi! Teacher’s pet! Come on! I’m going to show you what a real agent’s like. Not the coddled thing you’ve become!”   
  
He smirked and slid himself down into the pit, getting up and raising his fists. Of course it was Kyle. He had a bad left leg if he remembered right.  **_Always remember your enemies’ weaknesses._ ** He nodded to the other and the fight was on. Jesse was quick, always keeping just out of reach of the other to tire him out until he went in for a punch. As soon as it connected the real scuffle began and the two were full on trying to kill each other, rolling about and landing hits until Reyes called for it to end. Both were badly bruised and Kyle had a bite mark in his arm. Reyes only rolled his eyes at the sight.   
  
“McCree.”   
  
“Hm?”   
  
“Go get cleaned up. It’s about time you got a proper weapon instead of your fists.”   
  
He nodded and climbed out of the pit before Reyes grabbed him by the back of the shirt and told him off for not wearing the back brace. One short stop to his room later and he was headed to the basement with increasing curiosity. As he headed down the stairs though all he could hear was swearing and cursing. Sounded like only one person though. Maybe they were practicing? He went to open the door before something hit it and he waited, the shouts muffled but easy to tell it was  **_not_ ** English. Vaffanculo wasn’t Spanish even but sounded slightly Spanish. He opened the door slowly, a knife being pushed away from the path of the door. Someone was throwing knives? He got his answer fairly quickly. A little ways in front of him stood a short man, possibly five feet and four inches, about twenty two in age with short rust colored hair. Brown eyes glared at Jesse which caused him to hold his hands up in a ‘I’m not here to interrupt’ way. The man had on a black tank top and shorts with a bandolier of knives across his chest. Scars littered his limbs and what parts of his torso he could see.   
  
“What do you want? Why are you here?”   
  
“Uhm. Reyes told me to get a weapon.”   
  
“...Oh.”   
  
The man seemed to relax some and his fingers gently ghosted over a rosary looped around one the belt loops on his shorts. A Catholic man for sure. The accent he couldn’t place. Definitely not American. Jesse moved over to the racks of weapons and found a box with his name on it. Weird...did Reyes leave this for him? He opened it up to see a six shooter pistol, something that almost looked like a gun God would wield. Behind him he could hear the noises of blades hitting targets.   
  
“You’re McCree. Expected someone older.”   
  
“Well you look like a teenager.”   
  
“Hilarious. Name’s Vincent. People call me Vinny.”   
  
“Where you from Vinny?”   
  
“You’re not allowed to call me Vinny.”   
  
“Okay...Vincent where you from.”   
  
“Italia. Venice to be exact. You?”   
  
“New Mexico.”   
  
“Hm. Never been. Hear it’s shit.”   
  
“Yep.”   
  
Jesse loaded up the gun and took his place next to Vincent, lining up his shots and firing with a smirk. His trigger finger was definitely a little stiff so his shots were slightly off from perfect. He could see Vincent smirking at his bad shots.   
  
_ Clumsy idiot. Shit shot. _

 

Now was not the time for Farris to be messing around in the echoes of his head! He finished off the last of his six shots and held the gun. The balance was heavier than his dual pistols in Deadlock. It had a different grip and it felt odd for him. He didn’t even have a name for it. He needed to learn it, to find its every nook and crannies. He moved away from the targets and found a gun cleaning kit, taking the gun apart piece by piece before putting it together. He did it a few times until he felt safe enough to clean it, to learn its personality and ways. Vincent was trying not to stare.   
  
“Oi. What the fuck are you doing.”   
  
“Gettin to know it.”   
  
“Getting to know...A gun.”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Why are you going to name it or something?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
Vincent scoffed and went back to his practice as Jesse cleaned the gun spotless and put it back together. Peacekeeper. Yeah, that was a perfect name for a gun like this. He put it on the rack where his nameplate was and nodded.   
  
“So. Vincent. What’s your story?”   
  
“My...story?”   
  
“Yeah. Why you’re here and all. The knife thing.”   
  
“I used to believe in god. You see this rosary? It was my father’s. The dumb bastard. Papa was a priest. Mother was the country’s bicycle. Everyone had a ride. Got a lot of money out of it to be quiet as a kid. It was a good life I guess. Pretty bad wave of omnics hit the city and decimated it, nearly put the entire city underwater. Government relocated the survivors. My parents weren’t among them. You ever seen about a hundred relocated Italians in a small area. It’s not pretty. Italians hate each other by default. We despise each other. Anyways, so tensions reached a head, people start killing each other. You learn to defend yourself. I happened to be good at throwing knives. Left the camp when it got too bad. Travelled about, mostly murder for hire. Reyes found me in Gibraltar half dead. Been loyal ever since.”   
  
“Damn…”   
  
“Now leave. Please, for the love of god.”

 

He was quick to get out of there, knowing how well this guy could throw a knife. He headed back up to his room and saw Farris there, a book in his hand. He seemed to be lost in a thought, mumbling something from it.

  
  
“How do they do it, the ones who make love without love? Beautiful as dancers, gliding over each other like ice-skaters over the ice, fingers hooked inside each other's bodies, faces red as steak, wine, wet as the children at birth whose mothers are going to give them away. How do they come to the come to the come to the God come to the still waters, and not love the one who came there with them, light rising slowly as steam off their joined skin? These are the true religious, the purists, the pros, the ones who will not accept a false Messiah, love the priest instead of the God. They do not mistake the lover for their own pleasure, they are like great runners: they know they are alone with the road surface, the cold, the wind, the fit of their shoes, their over-all cardio-   
vascular health--just factors, like the partner in the bed, and not the truth, which is the single body alone in the universe against its own best time.”

  
  
The way he spoke was actually so elegant for a guy who snapped necks for fun. He walked in quietly and wrapped his arms around the other, face buried into his broad back and eyes closed. He smelled sweet, like some sort of flower nectar that drove him crazy. He smiled as Farris chuckled and turned in Jesse’s grip, holding him.   
  


“You miss me?”   
  
“Like hell.”   
  
“Well then why don’t we have some fun before I go on a mission to Japan. Something about a group called the Shimadas or something.”   
  
“Fun? Like what?”   
  
“You’ll see.”   
  
Jesse’s face was tilted up as their lips connected, sweet yet passionate. The kiss only got more heated as Farris’ hands ghosted over Jesse’s back, barely touching before Farris realized he had a back brace on and his hand went under Jesse’s shirt, undoing its straps and pulling it away so he could have his hands on him, skin to skin. Both knew they didn’t have long before Farris’ mission so they wanted this moment to last. Suddenly Farris pushed him back onto his cot and the kiss was parted for a few moments.   
  
“Pants off.”   
  
“W-Wha?”   
  
“Pants. Off.”   
  
Jesse quickly got his pants off as they fell around his ankles and Farris’ hand slipped into his underwear, starting to rub whilst the other covered Jesse’s mouth to keep him from making any noise. God this was so much better than his own hand as his eyes slipped close and he could feel himself shudder from it. If he could last longer than a few minutes he’d probably have gotten a lot farther but instead he ended up barely reaching orgasm before Farris had to leave for the mission, wiping his hand off on Jesse’s shirt and leave him there to clean up his own mess. He shuffled his way to the shower and got cleaned up before getting changed.   
  
The next few days he spent just thinking of Farris and working on staying true to the routine to get stronger. That was until the Japan mission squad came back with only three living men instead of the ten that went out. McCree rushed to the banister and watched the body bags be dragged in. Where was Farris! He quickly rushed down and stopped at the bottom of the stairs when he saw who the body bag in front of him.  _ H. Farris. _ The world started spinning and he suddenly felt ill. Farris was...dead? But he saw him just a few days ago. He rushed to his room and shut the door, essentially locking himself in.

 

**Note to self, never let anyone into your heart.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Link to the poem Farris Speaks [ http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/sharon_olds/poems/19521 ]  
> \- Farris is dead. ALSO WE FINALLY GET ANOTHER CHARACTER. Will Vinny live or die? You will see.  
> \- MCCREE'S HERITAGE  
> \- Who was the someone Reyes once knew? Who knows. I do.  
> \- FAREEHA CHILD IS PRECIOUS


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK WHO STOPPED PROCRASTINATING!

Weeks. He had not left his room except to eat in weeks. He did exercise but it was always the middle of the night when not even the crickets were awake. He never felt an emptiness like this before and not even sleeping pills or pain medication could manage to fix it. Farris was everything for him. The one who cared for him. The one who  _ loved _ him. The tears had dried up long ago and only the void of silence had filled where there had been sobs. Plenty of people had died around him. He’d even ended a good deal of lives but somehow this was different. It was like when his mother died. He didn’t smoke back then though and the ashtray in his room was overflowing. The only thing he had to remember Farris now was a stupid Blackwatch pin that he put on his hat. The same hat brought back to him when he got shot in Deadlock. He forced himself out of bed like he did every night and wandered the base, avoiding any contact with other agents. Most would be training or fighting in the pit this time of night so he could slip out with ease and sit in the cool night air. He’d finally gotten used to Geneva’s cold winter temperatures. He looked up to the stars and wondered how small life was.   


 

  
**_“Don’t mourn the dead...Not like they can hear you.”_ **

 

He turned fast to see Reyes with two cups that gave off steam. Didn’t smell like coffee. Hot chocolate? Reyes offered a cup and he took it, looking away.   
  


“You look like hell mijo.”   


  
“Don’t call me son.”   


  
“Yeah...You look like hell  _ Jesse. _ ”   


  
Jesse finally met the older man’s eyes and there was something there. Sadness? Longing? Something parental? He sipped the hot chocolate, the steam warming his face.   


  
“You haven’t slept much.”   


  
“I know.”

 

“You really cared about him.”   


  
“I loved him…”   


  
**_“Love’s a hard thing to come by. Harder when it’s lost.”_ **

  
“Couldn’t be more right.”   


  
“You have to move on. I doubt he’d want you moping about. Come on. Let’s get you inside.”   


  
“Yes sir.”   


  
The next two weeks he slowly got better, coming back ‘out of his shell’ in a sense. He integrated himself back into the usual Blackwatch life and took his emotions out on Kyle since he was always up to spar. Along with his hand coming back to normal use, he was doing great. His shots were near perfect and he was growing more and more complacent each day. The obnoxious cowboy was back in action.

 

It was finally time for his first mission, a retrieval in the very place Farris lost his life. Hanamura, Japan. He was scared but tried not to think about it. Reyes said it was undercover instead of a head on attack which meant they were not bringing anything obvious. Jesse grabbed a black tee shirt and jeans along with some good boots. He walked out of the base with a small but nervous smile as Reyes passed him, putting something into his hand. It was a box of cigarettes. He immediately lit up and followed.   


  
“Alright Jesse. It’s going to just be us so this will be both training and real world experience. Make sure you pay attention.”   


  
“Yea h sure.”   


  
They got onto a small plane and Reyes started changing into more casual clothes. Seemed like his favorite beanie, a tee shirt with a jacket over it and simple pants. He almost looked like just an average guy. Jesse was brought from his thoughts as a sweatshirt was thrown at his face. He slipped it on without any question. He actually looked like a college student.   


  
“Tie your hair back.”   


  
“Huh?”   


  
“Just do it. You’ll look less like you are a kid wearing your brother’s stuff.”   


  
He nodded and used a rubber band to tie his hair back as they took off. He was never going to get used to the feeling of a plane was he. Made his stomach turn knots and his back scream in pain. He took some pain medicine before leaving but it still hadn’t kicked in yet. Reyes noticed and cast him a glance.   


  
“I’m fine.”   


  
“Wearing your brace?”   


  
“Yeah…”   


  
“Good.”   


  
Why did he always have to be so parental with him. It still unnerved him. When the plane finally landed they got out and Jesse looked around. There were so many trees. Flowering trees. His eyes almost seemed to sparkle in delight. He’d never seen so many flowers like this since the Texas Bluebells.   


  
“C herry blossoms. We must have come right in time for them blooming.”   


  
“...Woooow.”   


  
“Come on Jesse. We have work to do.”   


  
He tore his eyes away from the cherry blossoms and followed him around as he talked to him in Spanish. Nobody would understand them and they’d just seem like regular tourists. A father and son on vacation. Eventually they reached a ramen shop to eat and Reyes decided to sort of ‘quiz’ him on his knowledge so far.   


  
“Alright. I want you to pick someone out there and give them a story. Look at how they act, and move. You don’t need a language to understand a person.”   


  
“Uh...Okay.”   


  
Just then two people walked past, one with striking green hair and the other with long black hair. They stopped in for ramen and Jesse decided they would be his target.   


  
“Okay. The green haired one is the little brother. Obnoxious, rowdy. Probably a rebel. Think he had a tongue piercing too which means other piercings. The long haired one is the big sister, very strict, conformist. Trying to get the younger brother reeled in.”   


  
“Well you had it close. They’re both boys.”   


  
“...What?”   


  
“Actually you picked out the two sons of the Shimada clan. Which means we need to go. Now.”   


  
Je sse gulped nervously and nodded, finishing his food and heading out with Reyes. Jesse managed to catch a snippet of the conversation since they had switched over to English.   


  
“Hanzo pleeeeaaaase.”   


  
“No. Get that obnoxious belt buckle out of my face Genji.”   


  
“But aniki-”   


  
“N o buts.”   


  
He just barely managed to dodge the belt buckle as it sailed past his head. He saw all eyes on him and decided to just do what he always does. He scooped up the belt buckle and walked off with it. Both brothers were confused yet wary of the scruffy man but decided to leave it out of their report to their father.   


  
Reyes and Jesse eventually found what they were retrieving. It was the one missing Blackwatch member that never returned alive or dead. Apparently he had been a Shimada rat. Reyes made swift work of knocking him out before they headed back to the plane and took off. Jesse spent the entire time looking out the window, his curiosity winning over his stomach. There was a lot of barf bags discarded off the plane when they returned.   


  
“Jesse. Get changed then follow.”   


  
He obeyed, knowing there was a specific purpose to Reyes wanting him to come. He slipped into his room, half of it now empty after being boxed up and grabbed a white undershirt and a button up polo, quickly getting them on before grabbing his hat and leaving the belt buckle on his bed. He then began searching out Reyes who was without the target and calmly waiting. He turned and walked, Jesse following right behind. 

 

T hey eventually got to one of the interrogation rooms and Jesse could already remember losing a few of his teeth in a room just like it. He went to follow Reyes in but was slightly pushed back.   


  
“No. Just watch.”   
  


Reyes entered the room as the traitorous man’s shot up, true fear in his eyes as he struggled in his restraints. Reyes’ body language was much like a predator taunting its prey as he went to a button on the wall and turned on some soft jazz music. Jesse could still clearly hear the conversation going on inside through a speaker.   


  
“For shame Fred. I really thought we’d broken that little rebellious streak of yours.”   


 

“B-Burn in hell Gabriel!”   


  
“Mm. Just making your case even worse.”   


  
Reyes walked behind Fred and gripped his hand, Jesse’s heart already racing from his panicked memory. He knew exactly what was going on and the screams that erupted from the room as each finger was broken just confirmed it. He was torturing the guy for information. Nobody that walked past the room even seemed phased but a girl did turn down the speaker volume for Jesse’s sake. His eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from the window as Reyes yelled at the other, trying to get any sort of information. 

 

The guy seemed to be tight lipped so he went to more violent measures. He walked to a wall panel and opened it, pulling out some sort of device and took Fred’s shoes off. Ah...He was smashing all his toes next. Jesse was realizing Reyes’ methods now and hoped that would be the end of it. It wasn’t. 

 

Reyes tossed away the device and went back to the panel, pulling out some pliers and what looked like something to open up a chest cavity. Jesse gulped as he watched his boss put the spreader in Fred’s mouth and tilt him forward. The questioning never ceased the entire time. One by one his teeth were yanked from his skull and tossed away like garbage. He could see Fred was starting to faint and actually slapped him to bring him back, the blood covered spreader hitting the window and Jesse jumped and forced himself to turn as someone handed him a bucket which he vomited into. Were they always standing there? What the hell someone was  _ eating and watching this _ . How psycho was everyone here!   


 

“Twenty bucks says Fred passes out in five minutes.”   


  
“Forty says Reyes kills him. He did get an entire squad killed except for three.”   


  
“False info about a Shimada weak point. Goes to figure he might.”   


  
Jesse drowned out the conversation as he turned back, not wanting to chicken out. Reyes was slashing up the guy with a knife as blood spilled from him before cutting the guy’s eyes out and then tongue. Finally the guy stopped breathing. He was dead. Only then did the crowd disperse and Jesse dropped the bucket.    


  
Jesse’s heart had stopped at what he had seen go on in that room and Reyes was so calm about it, leaving the room to a cleanup crew as he gently pushed Jesse along. Was this some sort of way to tell him never to disobey? That he would end up just like that? His thoughts had been keeping him so distracted that he didn’t even notice they had started to drive to an airport. Two plane trips in one day? This was not going to be fun. He didn’t dare speak up about it though and decided it was safer to just sleep the whole plane ride. When he was woken up they seemed to be surrounded by desert. He could tell the place when they stepped off into the airport. Somewhere in California.   


  
“Sorry.”   


  
“Huh? What for boss.”   


  
“About making you watch. I wanted to make sure I could trust you.”   


  
He nodded softly as they walked through the streets where colorful banners and candles lined the their view. Reyes seemed a lot more calm now, like Jesse felt when he was in the New Mexican desert. Eventually they reached a graveyard and Jesse finally understood what was going on. Día de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead. He watched as people from the town saw Reyes and spoke with him, smiling and innocent to who he was. 

 

It was odd to Jesse’s eyes. The man who just systematically removed a guy’s teeth a few hours ago was now smiling and hugging small children. Gabriel Reyes was a puzzle Jesse still couldn’t solve.   


  
When things calmed down they made it to a specific grave which seemed to have all sorts of flowers, candy and candles spread about it along with a photograph of what seemed to be a couple on their wedding day. Reyes spoke before Jesse could even open his mouth to ask.   


  
“ My parents...Died early on in the Crisis.”   


  
“Oh I...I see.”   


  
“Jesse.”   


  
“ Yeah?”   
  


“Do you...Remember who your family was before Deadlock?”   
  


Jesse was quiet for a long while. He didn’t want to tell the truth. Reyes probably knew his backstory anyways. Playing dumb was his best option right now. He took off his hat and looked away from Reyes.   
  


“No sir…”   
  


“Come...Pray with me.”   


  
“Not really all that religious boss.”   


  
“Just for tonight.”   


  
“...Okay.”   


  
He kneeled down next to Reyes and folded his hands. The two of them almost looked serene the way their eyes were closed. Neither spoke to the other for a long time. Reyes was the first to get up, waiting for Jesse to finish. After that they headed back for Geneva, neither ever speaking of what they had done except around each other for a solid week.   


  
Jesse learned a lot about Blackwatch and how it worked the more he hung around Reyes the next few weeks between missions which also meant he hung around Vincent. The two grew close, slowly becoming friends. A knife thrower and a gunslinger. 

 

They were in the basement training when Jesse noticed the other would shift slightly when he threw all his knives at once at points of killing someone and finally asked.   


  
“Vincent…”   


  
“Si?”   


  
“How do you do that.”   


  
“Do what.”   


  
“I ain’t dumb. That perfect 3 knife aim. How do you do it.”   


  
Vincent turned and quirked a brow, a smirk on his lips. The more Jesse looked at him, the more the other looked like an adult. The Italian walked over and fixed Jesse’s stance as usual. It was almost like Vincent was becoming an older brother to him, something he never had before.   


  
“I call it Hawk Eye. Came to me when I was in the relocation camp.”   


  
“Think you could teach me?”   
  


“I can’t teach it. It comes to you on it’s own. Make it your own though if you can.”   
  


“Can you teach me how you use it then?”   


  
“Si...Relax. Empty your head and hear the throbbing of your heart. Imagine everything melting away into nothingness where it’s just you and the enemy.”   


  
Jesse’s body relaxed as he slowly shut his eyes. His head emptied and then a voice that sent chills down his spine echoed through his head.   


  
_ “I’ll grant your every desire as long as you carry the burden.” _

 

His eyes shot open and he fired off his entire gun in perfect aim, his head pounding after as he fell back and hit his head, everything going black. The only thing he had seen was Vincent looking paler than a ghost.   
  


When he woke up again he could hear the beeping of machines. His head and back felt like they were on fire and his body felt like someone had filled his blood with concrete. A soft groan escaped his lips as his eyes cracked open to the gasping of a young girl.   
  


“He’s awake!”   
  


“Thank you Angela. Jesse? You’re in the medbay. You took quite a hit.”   
  


A light shined in his eyes which only make his headache worse as he tried to lift his hand to swat it away.   
  


“Mmm. Left eye isn’t responding as quickly as the right...That might be an issue. What were you doing Jesse?”   
  


“ Don’t...remember.”   
  


“I see. Angela could you get me the keys?”   
  


“Which ones?”   


  
“The pain killer cabinet keys.”   


  
“J-Ja.”   


  
He managed to get his eyes fully open but everything was extremely blurred as if he was in a dream world. As his vision cleared he saw Doctor Anagrin putting a patch over his left eye as it all went dark on that side along with a young woman that seemed around his age running to the doctor with the keys.   


  
“Thank you Angela. Jesse, this is my apprentice. Angela Zeigler.”   


  
“Hallo Jesse.”   


  
“Hey.”   


  
As Anagrin walked over to the cabinet he took in the appearance of the other. Gentle features and golden blonde hair in a ponytail with bright blue eyes. Those eyes...They were innocent and pure. Like an angel. He was torn from his thoughts as Doctor Anagrin came back and handed him a pill bottle.   


  
“Take two, twice a day. Now go back to your room.”   


  
“Yes doc.”   


  
“You are sending him off just like that?”   


  
“Yes I am Angela.”   


  
“Mmm...I don’t know if that’s alright but...okay.”   


  
Jesse got up and left the medbay, taking his pain killer dosage for the moment and going to his room. It never felt more empty. He laid down in bed and made sure his back brace was off, letting his eyes slip closed as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Now we seethe extents of Reyes and him being fatherly  
> \- FINALLY SOME SHIMADAS  
> \- We're gonna have a big time skip after this chapter to make the burn less slow


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY LOOK I ACTUALLY UPDATED THIS FIC!

Jesse could finally say he was no longer a teenager. Still, Reyes treated him like a child. It had been over a year since he joined up with Blackwatch and he was finally looking like a proper adult. He filled out his clothes fully and his voice no longer cracked when he spoke. He’d even become almost numb to the various torture methods Reyes used on traitors and people who wouldn’t give him information like all the others who were there.    


  
He often made trips between BlackWatch and Overwatch to visit with Angela who had become good friends with him. Apparently they had gotten a new addition into the Overwatch medbay and Jesse was walking down a hall to go visit them. They were amazingly a Shimada that was cast out or something. Maybe he can find out about the long haired Shimada he saw in Hanamura. He wouldn’t admit he sometimes thought of them when he wasn’t paying attention. He let his thoughts drift to the things he had done recently. He had grown through the ranks and was taking on more and more dangerous missions. He even met new people like Lena in his many new adventures.   
  


He was brought from his thoughts as he heard screaming from the medbay and Angela stumbling from it covered in food. Jesse frowned and walked over as he tried to help her clean up the mess on her as best he could.   
  


“Someone’s pissy.”   
  


“It’s the new...patient. He’s incredibly testy.”   
  


“Didn’t like a home cooked meal?”   
  


“More like he didn’t want it when he realized he couldn’t taste it. I swear he will be the death of me.”   
  


“Now we don’t need heaven stealin back their angel just yet.”   
  


“Jesse...Don’t you even think about it. He’s stronger than you.”   
  


“I’ve taken down stronger.”   
  


“He’s also a Shimada. One of the two sons of the leader.”   
  


“Then shouldn’t he be in Blackwatch’s medbay? Hm?”   
  


“Jesse enough jokes.”   
  


“Wasn’t a joke. Usually the criminals go right to Reyes.”   
  


“He’s not...really himself anymore.”   
  


“Hm? What you mean by that?”   
  


“Well...We had to replace most of his body with bioware to save him.”   
  


“You made a cyborg…”   
  


“Weeeeell.”   
  


“Angela that’s cheatin death. I’m all for medical advances but...did he even ask for it?”   
  


“He was going to die Jesse! Things work differently here! I couldn’t let him die!”   
  


“I know...sorry. I know you got that big heart.”   
  


“It’s okay. I forgive you. Could you clean up the medbay for me whilst I change? I don’t want any of these stains to set.”   
  


“For you? Anything.”   
  


She headed off and Jesse grabbed up the cleaning supplies. Jack usually had him cleaning whenever he was over with Reyes anyways so they could go fuck in one of the rooms. He could probably clean up anything by this point. He started outside the medbay and worked his way in, ignoring the glares of the Japanese man sitting up. It was easy to tell the man had been crying. He was also heavily stitched up and bandaged, his flesh not yet melded with his bioware and obviously uncomfortable. He was very good at reading others now from his training and kept to himself as he cleaned up all the food.    
  


“What are you looking at.”   
  


“Nothin. Just cleaning.”   
  


“Pitiful. You are not even good at that.”   
  


“I do what I can. Not everyone can be a trained assassin.”   
  


“I am no assassin. I am not even a person. No more.”   
  


“Sure. Name’s Jesse. Jesse McCree.”   
  


“McCree Jesse? A weird name.”   
  


“Oh that’s right. You do last names first. My first name is Jesse.”   
  


“American idiot.”   
  


“I might be an idiot but I don’t throw my food at the people who save my life.”   
  


“It is useless to me now.”   
  


“Hm.”   
  


Jesse finished cleaning up and got on his hands and knees to make sure he disinfected the entire area. Angela always got mad if the place didn’t smell like disinfectant only. Maybe she was just a germaphobe. When he finished that he straightened the place up as Angela usually likes it.   
  


“Why are you still here.”   
  


“Well I doubt you’ll try to leap from that bed but someone’s gotta watch you.”   
  


“I am not an infant in need of babysitting.”   
  


“No, you’re the son of the leader of the Shimada clan and need a tissue. You’re crying.”   
  


“I AM NOT!”   
  


“Yeah. Sure.”    
  


He picked up a package of tissues and walked over, setting it down near him. Thank god this guy couldn’t lash out or he’d be dead already. Jesse had grown to have a little bit of a lack of wanting to die recently after all. Maybe it was because of Vincent cooking for him at three in the morning when he couldn’t sleep. He saw the chart and grabbed it, flipping through.   
  


“Genji Shimada hm? Nice name.”   
  


“Whatever.”   
  


He placed the chart back as Angela walked in, Jesse giving his dopey little grin as he bowed to her and headed out. He had a lot of work to do after all, especially with Vincent since he still had not mastered what he was calling the ‘DeadEye’. Every time he tried to use it he would black out and if he wanted to weaponize it he needed to completely tap into its potential without going unconscious.   
  


He went back to BlackWatch and straight down to the basement training room, not finding Vincent there. It was odd not to see the Italian training day in and day out and went searching for him, finding him out back with his eyes closed. Was he napping? No, people didn’t nap in a sitting position unless they were in a chair. He walked up to him and tapped his shoulder as he jumped.   
  


“The fuck Jesse!”   
  


“Sorry!”   
  


“Better be. You’re late.”   
  


“I was helping Angela out.”   
  


“At Overwatch? Going soft for a girl?”   
  


“No. She’s my friend.”   
  


“Suuure. Sit down.”   
  


“Uh...okay.”   
  


He sat down next to Vincent and relaxed himself, thinking they were going to chat for a while but you never knew with Vincent. His brain seemed to always be in another place, another time.   
  


“Clear your head. We’re going to draw your damned demon of a Dead Eye out and tame it. You got a serious mission soon so it’s my job to get you in top form.”   
  


Jesse nodded and did what he always did to draw it out. Shut his eyes, clear his mind. Listen to the beating of his heart. He could feel the headache coming on already but kept his mind empty.   
  


“Open your eyes Jesse because holy shit…”   
  


Jesse’s eyes opened slowly and the world around him completely slowed. In front of him was a figure made entirely out of smoke, smirking. He did it. He had unlocked it without blacking out.   
  


_ “Why did you call me.” _ __   
__   


“I need to know you...Your name. Everything.”   
  


_ “Very well...You can call me...Ira.” _ __   
  


“Wrath in Spanish...Fitting.”   
  


_ “It seems you are finally mastering your punishment…You are worthy. I will serve you until you die.” _   
  


The smoky figure dissipated and everything came back into focus as his eye was killing him. Well...It wasn’t his back or the rest of his head. That was good. Vincent was staring at him in awe and a little fear.   
  


“What?”   
  


“You were mumbling in Spanish and...I swore I saw a face in that smoke.”   
  


Jesse chuckled and shrugged as he got up, heading inside. He was so going to need a lot of painkillers for this little episode of freaky as all given hell adventures. He was curious about the big mission he was going on by decided to let it wait until later.   
  


As time went on he decided to visit Genji more and more, slowly working his way past his angst about being a literal cyborg as he told stories and played guitar for him. He understood why he hated his condition, technically being almost attributed to an omnic by how much of his body wasn’t flesh anymore. They had been chatting away when Genji finally decided to open up.   
  


“You have a thing for my brother…”   
  


“I-uh. No!”   
  


“Are you sure?”   
  


“YES! I only saw him once!”   
  


“Haha okay. How about I tell you some stories.”   
  


“Okay sure.”   
  


“Well when we were younger, Hanzo would play the Shamisen. He let me try it once...I nearly broke it. Oh yeah...A shamisen is like a guitar only different.”   
  


“I see…”   
  


“There was also the time he taught me of the dragons…”   
  


“You mean the giant ghost lizards?”   
  


“Yes the...giant ghost lizards. Please do not disrespect the Shimada dragons like that or they may kill you.”   
  


“Oh shit...Sorry.”   
  


“It is alright.”   
  


“So I know you got a dad but...What about your mom?”   
  


“Assassinated when I was still young.”   
  


“Oh...I lost my mom when I was a kid too…”   
  


“Oh? What was she like?”   
  


“Well she beat down a coyote with a shovel once.”   
  


“Coyote?”   
  


“Big as fuck wild animal. ‘Bout the size of the average dog. Smaller than a wolf...Mama did beat a wolf with a shovel once too though.”   
  


“She sounds strong.”   
  


“Well moms do weird things to protect their young.”   
  


“Indeed...Jesse.”   
  


“Huh?”   
  


“Can I tell you something?”   
  


“Yeah, sure.”   
  


“When I am healed I am going to leave. I need to bec-”   
  


“Don’t gotta tell me the details. Just have a safe trip okay?”   
  


“Of course.”   
  


“MCCREE!”   
  


Jesse got up, chuckling. He must have been late to takeoff for their Omnic elimination mission. He did go as far as to go to Overwatch to avoid Reyes after all but it seemed the man would follow him to the grave. He left the medbay and saluted to Reyes as he rolled his eyes and started to walk, McCree following close behind. The ride was easier on Jesse than the first few times he flew in a plane. It was only a matter of time before he became numb to it. This was his hardest mission yet, hitting a rogue omnic area’s center. Sure, he’d been on countless missions before but never one with Reyes actually praying. Vincent was with them too, checking his gear a thousand times. This was one of those missions you either came back alive or not at all. They all knew that, every agent in that plane knew people would die today.   
  


For the first time in so long, Jesse prayed. He honestly prayed to make it out alive. When the plane touched down Jesse got ready, fingers ghosting over his gun. He could draw his pistol in under a second so no need to have it go off from him panicking and giving off their position. He’d left his hat and belt buckle back in his room, something to put on his grave.   
  


They moved as one, everyone taking their positions. Vincent took the high ground with bombs strapped to his knives and the ones with guns took the low ground. One wrong move could bring the whole operation down. They met resistance after the first room, the battle starting. The further they pushed in, the stronger the enemies seemed to grow. Everything was going fine until one self destructed in the last room, bringing down parts of the building as everything went dark for Jesse.   
  


He could have sworn he saw her. His mother as beautiful as he remembered telling him to go back. Had he been dying? None of it mattered as he heard Reyes calling his name, panic in his voice.   
  


“Ey...boss...Get off.”   
  


“Jesse thank god!”   
  


His vision was so blurry but something definitely was not right with his left arm. He turned to look at it but there was nothing but rubble on that side of his body. Reyes pulled out a knife and he realized what was going on.   
  


“We’re going to 127 hours this shit but faster! Stay with me.”   
  


He felt the blade go into his arm and screamed, trying to twist away and kick his legs. Reyes was sitting on his chest though to keep him pinned and all he could do was scream and cry until the pain knocked him back out again.   
  


When he woke up they seemed to be on the plane again, Reyes supporting Jesse. Was he seated on the floor? If he wasn’t in so much pain he might have laughed at how he entered this whole mess on the floor of a plane. The ride was mostly spent with Jesse moving in and out of consciousness, not knowing if he’d live or die.    
  


He finally blacked out again as soon as they touched down at the BlackWatch base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I actually had to look up a Shamisen, yes  
> \- The stories Genji says were summaries of the memories Genji had in You, Me and Genji Makes Three, a fic by my editor who hated the work after 3 chapters and scrapped it  
> \- I actually remembered to take McCree's arm off  
> \- The timeline for this and the next chapter will be pretty vague since in my plotted out timeline I never set a specific age for it along with the years before Recall


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, this fic is still running! And now, so is Jesse! We're finally almost to the actual McHanzo so the slow burn will soon be sated!~

When he woke up again his left arm was itching him something fierce. Wait...didn’t Reyes cut it off? He went to turn his head but something was holding it in place. He could also breathe easier than he thought he ever could. It finally came to his attention the beeping of machines. Was he in the medbay? If so...which one. Overwatch or Blackwatch. Other things were coming to his senses. Voices. Who were they. They were definitely muffled. Maybe in the other room?   


  
He got his answer when the doors opened. Two were female...Swiss and Egyptian. Ana and Mercy...He knew the other voice too well. Reyes. His commander. His boss. Everything finally seemed to come into focus and he realized he was at Overwatch. He was safe...He itched like hell but he was safe.   


  
“Mijo...Welcome back to the living.”   


  
“What…”   


  
“No talking. Just...Stay put okay?”   


  
“Arm itches…”   


  
“I know…”   


  
He finally realized what was going on when the oxygen mask was taken off of his face and he could move his head. Ah. The mask was keeping his head in place. He finally could get a look at his arm though and was a little surprised to see a metal arm there. Well, Reyes wouldn’t have use for him otherwise would he.   


  
“I’m okay boss. Really.”   


  
“You are going to stay here until you can function. You scared the hell out of me!”   


  
“Sure boss...Sure.”   


  
He did what Reyes told him to, getting stronger and better by the day. When he was finally released from the Overwatch medbay he went straight to Blackwatch, back into his training routine. He began to go on missions and seemed to be doing even better than before.   


  
Everything seemed to be back to normal until he heard a conversation that changed everything.

 

“So we ready to make a move?”   


  
“Yeah. We can’t let anyone know though. Boss said so.”   


  
“Mmm yeah. Overwatch is gonna fall hard. Go and release the files like boss said.”   


  
“Yeah, let the public think Morrison was behind a ‘corrupted cleanup crew’.”   


  
“Yeah, then Talon’ll swoop in and we get paid bigtime.”   


  
“Yeah, just had to fool everyone. Easy.”   


  
“Come on. Let’s get to work.”   


  
Jesse covered his mouth and quickly headed off. Thank god he could walk quietly. He slipped into his room and quickly packed everything he needed. If Reyes really was trying to bring down Overwatch like he assumed, he needed to leave. Now. Everything he held dear went into that bag, along with his hat. Then he went to Vincent’s room and knocked lightly.   


  
“Who is it.”   


  
“It’s Jesse. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”   


  
Vincent opened the door and they both noticed the other had bags. Jesse walked in and set his bags down. So they were both leaving…   


  
“Where you headed Vinny?”   


  
“Back to Italy. You?”   


  
“Back to my own stomping ground.”   


  
“So you heard them too.”   


  
“Yeah. Didn’t know Reyes was that cold.”   


  
“Mmm. Can never judge a book by their cover I guess.”   


  
“Be safe out there Vincent. World’s changed a lot. So have we.”   


  
"Stay safe too cowboy. Something's coming, and I can tell it's not good. I don't like what's happening, and everything seems to be going tilted." 

 

The italian paused and turned his head. He looked concerned, bereft and most of all...scared. The air felt thick between them, and Jesse wasn't sure how to break it. With an abrupt movement, Vinny turned, clasping his hands down on Jesse's shoulders.

 

"Trust your dead eye. You've wrangled it, tamed it, married it...it won't steer you wrong Jesse McCree. The world is falling hard, and kindness is a rare commodity. When you find it, hold onto it. Never let go. You hear? If you fall into a bad situation, trust the dead eye...got that?" 

 

The Italian looked fit to burst into tears as he pulled the cowboy in for a tight hug.    


  
"Never forget Jesse..."   


  
“Hey now...Don’t go all soft on me.”   


  
Jesse hugged him back and smiled softly. He knew the other would be safe, especially after what they both went through together. The missions. The highs and lows. The time Jesse stuck a ham in the vents and Vincent helped him hide. Their break from the embrace was slow but...good in a way. They both collected their bags and ran off in opposite directions. Vincent would probably take a helicopter. Jesse was going to travel home in style. He would have a bounty on his head again after all, he needed to be disguised the best way he could...and use up what was left of his Blackwatch status before everything went to hell.

 

When he finally arrived home in Santa Fe, he felt calmer than he had in years. Everything seemed like when he left it. He walked into town and smiled softly. It was so calm, so peaceful.  _ Like when he was a child. _

__   
  
**_Don’t judge a place you know by heart._ **

 

 

He huffed and shook the thought from his head. Reyes was still probing around his head and dragging up lessons, even from across the damn globe. He didn’t need any of this. He eventually found his old house and it...was occupied.  _ Ah. _ He went to the door and knocked lightly. Maybe a family lived there. There was enough flower pots and light colors on the house to assume so. The person who opened the door was a young woman about his age. 

 

A young woman. Oh lord heaven must've lost an angel, because this woman was radiance herself. Her long flaxen curls cascaded down her shoulders, and cute little freckles dotting the peachy skin. Her big blue eyes reminded him of an Oklahoma sky. She was a precious young lady. Jesse could feel his heart skip a beat.    


  
"Can I help ya?"    


  
Oh my lord. Her voice was smooth as butter. He could've sworn he was dreaming. Her body seemed to be clothed in a simple dress, tied back by a messy apron. With all of his manners, he moved to snatch the hat off his head and hold it close to his chest.    


  
"S..scuse me miss...someone call heaven because you're the only ten I see."    


  
He stated it with the confidence of a football player whose just won the super bowl for his team. The girl started to giggle, making his body heat up again. A series of snorts and chuckles sounded their way from the girl. Only then did he realize his mistake. With a frantic wave he fanned off the mistake    


  
"H-s..sorry! Hold up now I can get this right-"   


  
“N-No! That was...ha. That was beautiful.”   


  
He rubbed the back of his neck, ending up blushing even more which made the woman end up giggling even more. He wasn’t sure if this was considered love at first sight but it damn well felt like it. The woman spoke again and Jesse hung on her every word.   


  
“So what’s a rough and tumble cowboy doin’ on my front porch.”   


  
“I...Well you see…This was my home back in the day.”   


  
“When was that. Thirty years ago?”   


  
“N-No...Little over fifteen. When I was a kid.”   


  
“Oh...Guessin’ you have nowhere to stay then.”   


  
“No ma’am.”   


  
“Well, my door is open to wayward chunks of desert so you can stay in my guest room. Don’t mind my mama though. She’s a bit of a loon. She lives with me. Name’s Anne by the way. Annabelle Oakland.”   


  
“Uhm...Jesse McCree.”   


  
“Nice name for a nice cowboy.”   


  
Annabelle, a name to pierce the heavens. He felt like he’d swoon. They headed in and Jesse unpacked, realizing quickly the ‘guest room’ had been his bedroom as a child. It had been redone though and it was obvious the floorboards had been replaced. There went his old collection of animal bones probably. He slipped all his weapons and Blackwatch stuff under the bed and decided to change his clothes. Gone was the black in favor of a plaid shirt and jeans. He kept his boots though. The belt buckle was put aside and his hat was left on the nightstand. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.   


  
He looked like a dad. He didn’t mind it though. He was hiding from both the law and the world after all. He walked out to where Anne and her mother were sitting on the couch, talking. Jesse decided to lean against the couch and see what they were watching on the television.

  
  
_ The Geneva Overwatch base destroyed! In a massive explosion, seeming caused by the Blackwatch leader Gabriel Reyes, the entire base went under, killing both the Blackwatch and Overwatch commanders. It seemed to be a civil war in the ranks had broken out and not many survived the blast. Among the missing are Vincent Scoperi, a knife thrower from Blackwatch and Je- _

 

The cable fizzled out for a moment and Jesse thanked whatever deity was watching over him in that moment. He didn’t want Anne to know he was part of Blackwatch or anything from his past. Not yet at least. Anne’s mother seemed to look him up and down for a moment before speaking.   


  
“Anne...you didn’t tell me you finally got a boyfriend. Handsome one too. Bet he won’t be shooting blanks.”   


  
“Mother!”   


  
“Oh come now, I was not born yesterday.”   


  
“S-Sorry Missus Oakland but-”   


  
“You call call me Nona sweetheart.”   


  
“N-Nona. I’m not her boyfriend. I’m just stayin' over till I get back on my feet. This used to be my home is all an-”   


  
“...Jesse?”   


  
“U-Uhm yes?”   


  
“I remember you! The little boy from the county fair! I always wondered what happened to you!”   


  
“Y-Yeah. I grew up a lot.”   


  
“I noticed. Now I better make some dinner. You two...bond.”   


  
Nona got up, leaving the two young adults awkwardly sitting in the living room. Maybe...maybe he could make this work after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Jesse fell in love again  
> \- Vincent ran [AND LIVES]. I'm not killing Vincent I SWEAR  
> \- I can never go with Reyes actually causing the fall now can I


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who updated finally for this! Sadly I can never let McCree be happy until the ship is fulfilled! Which we will finally get to next chapter because WE ARE FINALLY GETTING TO RECALL. I never meant for this to take so long on the buildup but I kept having all these tiny ideas that wouldn't go away.

McCree stumbled from the door, tripping over a step as he went tumbling backwards into the dirt with a small yelp. He couldn’t believe this was happening. One minute they had been fine and now she was screaming him out under the desert’s moonlight. They’d been together a year, maybe more by this point. He’d lost count. They were going to get married soon too but that seemed to be blowing up in the water now.

  
“You two-timing son of a bitch! You think I wouldn’t find out?”

  
“Anne please! Talk to me!”

  
“Talk to you. Like hell I’m gonna talk to the likes of you! Why didn’t you tell me about Deadlock! About Blackwatch! ABOUT FARRIS.”

  
“Annabelle. My Annabelle Lee. That’s all in my past. Please. Let me back inside. Come on...You’re drawin stares.”

  
“No. Hell no! God only knows what else you’re hidin from me! How many lies you’ve told about yourself. You won’t even tell me where you go for days at a time without any ‘goodbye Anne’. Probably fuckin some floozy! I thought you were heaven sent...God I’m an idiot.”

  
“Annie-”

  
“Don’t ‘Annie’ me. We’re through. Completely. And you can take this ring back! Probably stole it anyways, fucking rat!”

  
The ring pinged off his forehead as he went for it. He managed to find the thing wedged between two rocks before his bag went right at his head. He sighed and barely managed to catch it before it hit him in the face, pocketing the ring as he headed for the train station. First train out of Santa Fe was what he was going to take. Without Anne, there was nothing left for him here.

  
He’d matured a lot since he left Blackwatch. He had found an old serape in Nonna’s attic that he became attached to, more than he had cared to admit. He’d let his facial hair grow out too. Honestly, he looked more like a cowboy now than he probably ever had. He leaned against the station and pulled out a cigarillo, lighting up before inhaling and blowing a ring of smoke. He’d have to fly under the radar...or ride on top of the train.

  
He had one stop to make though. A place where he knew he needed to go. The place he went so often he knew it like the back of his hand. Los Angeles, California. As soon as the train showed up, he disappeared into the crowd and prepared for the journey.

  
  
**_Don’t cut losses on love. Take it from me. Might come around when you least expect it._ **

  
  
“Yeah...Sure. Turned out real well for you, didn’t it boss.”

  
He decided to rest for the journey, shutting his eyes but not going into a deep sleep. He knew better than that. Deep sleep meant death. When the train reached Los Angeles he packed away his hat and Serape and disappeared once more into the crowds. It was almost time. The Day of the Dead was coming upon them and Jesse wanted to be here for it. He wanted to be here to pray. He went to touch his chest where his Blackwatch pendant had been but remembered where it was. With Anne. Still around her beautiful neck that he had spent so many nights leaving tiny, soft kisses on. That skin that had seen coyotes and fought them off with nothing but a shovel.

  
He shook the thoughts away and headed into the city, keeping his head low. People were celebrating and setting up their altars. He bought flowers and a bottle of whiskey along with a single glass before he went to the graveyard.

  
It was empty in the section of what they assumed was Reyes’ body was. Right next to his parents. He kneeled down and started setting up candles and flowers before putting down the picture of them in Blackwatch. Reyes was ruffling Jesse’s hair and they were smiling...He then set up everything for Reyes’ parents before setting the whiskey down and pouring a glass, setting it on the grave and quietly folding his hands.

  
Jesse wasn’t a religious man...not for a long while. He’d completely abandoned his faith when he was still a young teen. He was a young man now...with no idea of what he was going to do. Still, he shut his eyes and he prayed.

  
“Boss...I don’t know if you can hear me...But...What do I do. Where do I go from here. I ain’t been the best with words and I definitely am not the greatest with speeches but I’m up shit creek and lost the paddle a long time ago. You always knew what to do. You always knew how to handle shit like this...I should have told you what I overheard. I should have told Vincent to...I should have stayed. I was just so scared. I hope you can forgive me. For everything. Even before Geneva. Forgive me…”

  
He opened his eyes and sighed, grabbing the whiskey bottle and downing some before closing it up and setting it next to the glass. Only then did he get up and look around. Night was falling on Los Angeles, the candles in the graveyard flickering softly as people remembered and prayed to their ancestors, people they cared for.

  
Jesse took the moments to remember the people he cared for that were gone from his life. His mother, taken by either illness or starvation. Farris was taken by the BlackWatch life, a light extinguished way too soon. Reyes and Morrison died defending their principles, lovers caught in the tides of misunderstandings.

 

Jesse felt a chill go up his spine as there was the noise of something moving as he turned quickly. The glass was empty and the photograph and whiskey was gone. Had someone grabbed it and he didn’t notice? No...He was in the corner of the cemetery and there was nobody running away. That shiver went up his spine again as he noticed what was on the gravestone.

  
_A black beanie full of burn holes_ . The same burnt beanie that was on the television when he arrived at Anne’s home. He picked it up softly as it laid limp in his hand. It smelled of plaster, concrete, blood...death and ash. It smelled like an explosion that took a life. He could have sworn he saw a shadow moving out of the corner of his eye too. He quietly put it into his bag and turned, walking away as he tried not to think about what this could mean.

  
The way out of Los Angeles had gone a bit...sideways. He had to pull a stunt to save an entire train car from Talon. They had been playing Blackwatch rules and some had even recognized him...He hoped it was the bastards that betrayed their family to start out with. When he got off at Houston he started trekking it on foot.

  
Every stop could have been his last. Every wrong turn could have lead to disaster. So many close calls had brought him all the way to Georgia. He was staying in an old safe house of Reyes’ that they had shared so long ago when they got separated from a transport. It still looked the way they’d left it. Blankets were tossed over beams to keep animals from nesting in them, pillows locked away in a cabinet. Basic rations and medical supplies. Clothes in the cabinet with the pillows.

 

Everything had a faint layer of dust to it. Obviously nobody had been here since the fallout of the watch. He smiled softly and decided to stay here for a while. It wasn’t like he was going anywhere. He spent his time helping out where he could and dishing out the justice instilled in him by Reyes. Each day he would go to the same stream and hold the engagement ring in his hand, thinking of dropping it in the water. Every time his mother’s voice would talk him down.

 

_Don’t destroy the things you hold dear Mijo. Work through the problems of the heart because a love is a hard thing to find these days._

 

One day when he was watched his reflection in the waters of the stream something flashed on his arm. It was faint, his arm having not been serviced since he left Blackwatch behind. He quirked a brow and gently tapped the part of his arm as a panel opened slowly and a holoscreen fizzled to life. It seemed to flicker in and out of usability from being banged about so much.

  
  
_Overwatch: Recall_

_  
__  
__Accept_   _Deny_

 

He stared at the screen for the longest time. He could go back to being a ‘hero’. But that also meant going back and facing his mistakes of the past. Going back to the life he ran away from as a scared young adult. He took a calming breath and his finger hovered over the choice before he pressed it, heading back to the safe house to pack his things. He had a lot of explaining to do.  


_Overwatch: Recall_

_  
__  
_**_> Accept_**        _Deny_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Reyes stole the whiskey and photo so he could remember Jesse  
> \- ANNE THOUGHT HE CHEATED WHEN HE WAS VISITING REYES' GRAVE  
> \- Can we talk about Jesse and the safehouse?  
> \- MAMA LESSON RETURNS  
> \- WE REFERENCE THE OFFICIAL MCCREE COMIC  
> \- I am really tired I did 3 fic updates in one day someone give me a pillow and let me rest


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally updating everyone! If you haven't read already, me and my editor are no longer friends. We finally have McCree returning to Overwatch to a very interesting sight. Hopefully he won't die of his emotions.

Getting there had been the hardest part. Security was a lot tighter nowadays, especially on flights. The ‘scenic route’ meant a few weeks on a boat. It gave him time to think. He’d been out of the hero business for over ten years now. He was definitely rusty at least.  _ Ten years… _ He pulled the charred beanie out of his bag and looked it over with a sigh. None of this was going to get easier...was it.

  
  
**_“If life starts getting easy that means you’re getting soft. Getting soft means getting dead real fast vaquero.”_ **

****__  
  
Jesse groaned as yet another lesson of Reyes’ swam through his brain. He needed to stop thinking about him. It was only going to make his head hurt more. He put the beanie away, hearing footsteps coming towards the cargo area.  _ Shit he made too much noise. _ He quickly moved inside the crate he had snuck in on, holding his breath. He had forgotten how much mummies smelt. When was the last time he’d even been this close. Oh right. London museum. Egyptian exhibit.

  
  
_ “Jesse, stop picking your nails and actually pay attention.” _ _  
_

__  
_ “Hm?” _ __  


__  
_ “I swear you’re going to get yourself killed one of these days.” _ __  


__  
_ Reyes smacked the back of Jesse’s head and caught the hat with the other before it could even glance one of the lasers of the grid. They’d been put in charge of watching the exhibit due to somebody threatening to steal the jewels of whatever dead guy was in the glass box. _ __  


__  
_ “Pay attention.” _ __  


__  
_ “Nobody’s comin boss. Can’t we just leave?” _ __  


__  
_ “No. This is our duty.” _ __  


__  
_ “Well it’s a LAME duty. I’m 21 now and the boys are playing poker by now.” _ __  


__  
_ “Shut up. They’re here.” _ __  


__  
_ Jesse turned to look at what seemed like a guy in all black with a scythe that seemed to glow. Jesse’s eye itched slightly and he unholstered his pistol. Seems the Deadeye was getting restless again and Reyes could tell as he put a hand on his shoulder. _ __  


__  
_ “Not yet mijo. Calm yourself.” _ __  
  


_ “Mm.” _ _  
_

__  
_ Reyes sighed and watched the smoke starting to form around Jesse’s feet. He knew there was no stopping the Deadeye if Jesse didn’t fight it. He lit a cigarette and breathed in, hearing the shot and then watching the man’s body collapse. He knew what had happened. Except...Jesse was looking around in confusion. _ __  


__  
_ “Something wrong?” _ __  


__  
_ “Well my eye is killin me but I never fired a shot.” _ __  


__  
_ “...What.” _ __  


__  
_ “I never fired my gun.” _ __  


__  
_ “We have to go. Now.” _ __  


__  
_ “Bu-” _ __  


__  
_ “NOW.” _ __  


_  
_ _ He dragged Jesse out right before the shots rang out. Jesse chuckled nervously, rubbing his bioware arm with a cheesy smile as Reyes smacked him again. He seemed to do that a lot nowadays. They rushed off to the plane after that, leaving the area. He was definitely avoiding Reyes for the night that was for sure. _

 

 

A few weeks later Jesse had left Blackwatch...It seemed so long ago now. And he’d met Anne soon after that. The footsteps were distant now and he came back out, wiping his forehead. He definitely didn’t want to be breathing that in again, that was for sure.

 

When the boat docked in Gibraltar he snuck off and headed for the base, going to the door and knocking with a smirk. Angela ended up answering the door and she gasped before smiling. She’d matured so wonderfully, now a beautiful woman.   


  
“Well if it isn’t Jesse McCree.”   


  
“Howdy there.”   


  
“We didn’t expect you to come! Tracer! Genji! He came!”   


  
Jesse walked inside right as a blue streak appeared in the air, Jesse holding his arms out as Tracer fell into them in a fit of laughter. Seemed she still was a ball of energy, zipping about like there was no tomorrow. She took off Jesse’s hat and plopped it on her head.   


  
“Hey Jesse! Lovely seeing you here!”   


  
“Well it’s nice to see you too Lena.”   


  
Angela walked past and shook her head, commenting on how much Jesse smelled like a wet dog. Well...he hadn’t really had a nice bath or shower since he left Anne’s place so it made sense. Lena jumped out of his arms and put his hat on the couch as Genji took off his face plate and smiled.   


  
“Hello Jesse.”   


  
“Hey Genji. You seem a lot less angry.”   


  
“Do I? It must have left with your shitty attitude.”   


  
“Nope. Still here.”   


  
They both laughed and McCree watched an omnic float by, his hand going for his gun before Genji rushed over and held his arm. Why was he doing that?   


  
“Woah. Woah. That’s my master.”   


  
“Your...master? What sort of kinky bull-”   


  
“Look...Let me explain. After I left I went searching for myself.”   


  
“Like a...spirit quest kinda thing?”   


  
“...Close enough. I ended up in Nepal and Zenyatta took me in. He is the reason I’m here and calm.”   


  
“Okay...But if he tries any funny business I’m shootin him.”   


  
“Sure. Sure.”   


  
Genji seemed to be starting to smirk. That was never a good sign since usually it was followed by all sorts of kinky questions and sexual innuendos. Jesse could admit he loved an innuendo or two but still.   


  
“Also it helped me reconcile with my brother. Who is coming.  _ Today. _ ”   


  
Jesse audibly swallowed and said a quick excuse before running off to get cleaned up. Hanzo Shimada was coming here. The man Jesse might have had a huge crush on as a teenager. Sure, he still loved his Annie with all his heart but...there was always still that ‘What if’ in the back of his mind. He let the water run over himself as the tiles were stained brown from the desert sand that never quite seemed to leave him. He cleaned himself spotless before he went to grab his clothes...which had been replaced with a tee shirt and sweatpants. He figured Genji had stolen them so Mercy could wash them.

 

He realized two interesting facts. One, he’d gotten a lot pudgier in the stomach so the shirt didn’t fit. Two, his back was killing him and his pain killers were in his pants pocket. He sighed and walked out, a towel around his neck as he tried to dry out his hair.   


  
He didn’t expect to walk into a shorter man with long black hair and a dragon tattoo on his arm. The world stopped just like it had twice in Jesse’s life. The day Farris had kissed him and the evening he met Annabelle. He could feel heat coming to his cheeks and felt very embarrassed to be letting his 'dad bod' be in plain view. The other definitely didn’t seem to be impressed as they cleared his throat.   


  
“Huh?”   


  
“I said to move aside.”   


  
“Oh-erm. Sure?”   


  
He stepped aside as the man walked off and he spotted Genji losing his shit down the hallway. It didn’t take a lot of brain to figure out why.  _ That _ was Hanzo Shimada, older brother of Genji and his first meeting with him was with his fat stomach hanging out like a beer gut. He shot Genji a glare and tossed the spare shirt at him as he went to the room he always had when he stayed at any base or watchpoint, flopping on the bed. Seemed that they had put the clothes that were clean in here and he grabbed a baggy button up to put on before lying in the bed.

 

Why was his heart beating out of his chest right now. He still loved Anne didn’t he? But she did kick him out without letting him explain. This was so complicated! He grabbed a pillow and put it over his face with a groan as he heard voices trickling down the hallway. Definitely Torbjorn, Winston and Reinhardt which meant everyone was here that would have accepted this. He was glad to at least avoid being asked why he left in the first place and decided on a nap.   


  
It was better to leave his feelings for a more awake time of being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I'm having the peacetime being 17 years for reasons  
> \- What's a timeline lol  
> \- GENJI REMINDS ME OF A LITTLE SHIT CAT NO WONDER HANZO KILLED HIM  
> \- I'm sorry if this isn't my best work Eli usually edited for me and I'm REALLY TRYING


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look we have an update! Finally we get into the swing of McCree and Hanzo conversations but they definitely aren't friendly~ Soon enough that will change though and we'll have a lot more fun with our favorite men. We also get to see how exactly the DeadEye affects Jesse and some fun with Genji. I am finishing up my spring break so I took a good while to write this chapter. Also I might not be updating as much since I have to get a job. Enjoy~

_ “Jesse. Get up.” _ _   
_

__   
_ “I’m not sleepin boss.” _ __   


__   
_ “I don’t care. Come outside.” _ __   


__   
_ Jesse groaned as he got up, his back audibly cracking. He really needed some pain killers right now but there wasn’t anything strong enough it seemed. He definitely wasn’t addicted to them...as far as he knew. As soon as he opened the door he had a cupcake thrust into his hands on a plate with a smiling Ana holding a camera and Reyes actually smirking as he ruffled Jesse’s bedhead. _ __   


__   
_ “Welcome to 21 years old. You can legally drink in your own country now.” _ __   


__   
_ “Uhm...thanks boss but my birthday isn’t for another month.” _ __   


__   
_ “What Gabriel is trying to say is you won’t be here for your birthday since you have that big mission. So we’re celebrating it e a r l y.” _ __   


__   
_ He knew the dream was wrong from the moment he spoke about the date of his birthday. He could feel everything changing. The dream shifted slowly as if the world was put on slow motion and he could see smoke at the edges of his vision, curling like fingers as it wrapped around his throat. Everything faded away and he started to choke, the smoke filling up his lungs and tightening around his neck like a rope as a voice rang in his head. _ __   


_   
_ **_Y o u  F a i l e d._ **

 

 

Jesse fell out of bed, the blankets wrapped around his legs like a snake as he landed on the damaged part of his back and stifled a yelp. Another nightmare. It had been two weeks since he’d come back to Overwatch and still his past was chasing him. He groaned and disentangled himself and got off the floor, looking at the clock on the desk nearby.  _ 3 in the morning. Of course. _ Well at least he could have the base to himself...unless Winston was on an all nighter experiment again.   


  
He left his room, stumbling down to the kitchen and making himself a cup of coffee as the nightmare played over in his head. Was Ira mocking him for leaving Blackwatch before it all went to hell? He sat down in a chair, almost missing the teapot on the stove.  _ Almost. _ So someone else was up. It was probably Genji since as far as Jesse could remember he didn’t sleep much anymore. So many times they spent up when Jesse had nightmares just like this.   


  
So many times it was general bullshit like their bosses and how in love they were. Other times it was stories of their youths. He had honestly missed the late night chats they had in the years he had been gone from Overwatch. When he heard movement behind him he looked up, expecting to see Genji and for their usual shenanigans to unfold.  _ He was dead wrong. _   


  
Behind him stood Hanzo, hair tied up into it’s usual ponytail with two cups on a tray as the tea kettle whistled on the stove. Their eyes only locked for a moment before Hanzo made a noise of disinterest and went to the kettle.   


  
Two weeks of basically awkwardly tiptoeing around him had led to this moment. He figured he should probably speak up, say something about how apparently being up at ungodly hours must be an innate Shimada trait. Instead he thought over his words carefully before speaking.   


  
“Genji up?”   


  
“Yes. I  _ do _ have two cups.”   


  
“Sorry.”   


  
“He speaks of you often. I have no idea why.”   


  
_Because unlike you I was there for him. I didn’t kill my own brother for the sake of ‘family’._ He didn’t even realize the thoughts hd slipped in until they were burning in his brain like a red hot branding iron. He shut his eyes, already feeling the headache coming on and knew where the thoughts were coming from. _Guess he was going to be shooting tonight or having a word with Ira. Either way he was going to calm it all down._   


  
He got up, downing his coffee as he put the cup in the sink before heading off outside so sit on int bridge as he shut his eyes. He didn’t have his gun so it seemed that it was going to be meditation. He slowed his breathing and felt his heartbeat in his ears, slow and meticulous but roaring like an ocean. His eyes opened slowly and the world slowed around him as the smoke lapped at the edges of his vision before swirling before him in a semi-humanoid shape.

  
  
“ _ Hola vaquero. It’s been awhile since we spoke.” _ _   
_

__   
“Stop messing in my life.”   


  
_ “You were the one to take this burden. I am your wrath, jealousy and rage. _ **_I am you._ ** _ You can not get rid of me. Or would you rather your body fall apart along with your mind. I can destroy you from the inside out just like what has happened to your  _ **_dear mentor._ ** _ ” _

 

“Reyes is...dead. Stop filling my head with lies.”

 

_ “I would never mislead. I just tell you what you need to know when it benefits.” _   


  
“Benefits you maybe but not me.”   


  
_ “Accept your fate or I might do something you regret. Adios~” _

 

 

He rubbed his eyes as the world came into focus, a small bird on the railing which took off as soon as he moved a muscle. Or maybe it was the footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Genji, a soft smile on his face and his helmet and faceplate tucked under an arm. Jesse smiled back and got up, leaning against the railing as he ran his fingers through his hair.   


  
“Looks like you were arguing with demons again.”   


  
“And you look like you just got laid.”

 

“Ha, I wish. Just a nice conversation with Hanzo.”   


  
“Yeah right. All he’s ever been with me is cold and awkward.”   


  
“It’s because he doesn’t know you.”   


  
“Don’t think he’ll ever want to.”   


  
“Just give him time. He needs to warm up to the idea of being here. It took me forever to even  _ convince _ him to go through with this and he still tries to kill my master whenever i leave them alone.”   


  
“Weeeell.”   


  
“Don’t you start.”   


  
“Sorry.”   


  
The two looked at each other and laughed. It was so easy to be calm around each other, especially after all they had been through together. They walked side by side until they got to the sleeping quarters hall and Genji wish him sweet dreams. He walked back towards bunk and saw the door to the room Hanzo was staying in opened a crack. 

 

_ It couldn’t hurt to look could it? _   


  
He gently pushed the door open to see...nothing. It was the most unpersonalized room he had ever laid his eyes on. Even Reyes had clothes tossed about to show someone at least slept there. There was nothing here. It was like the place was empty. He felt something press into his back and realized he’d been standing there long enough to get noticed and snuck up on by the owner of the room itself.   


  
“What are you doing.”   


  
“Uh...looking?”   


  
“Leave.”   


  
“It’s a free roam hallway.”   


  
“Leave my doorway and stop talking with my brother.”   


  
“Rude…”   


  
He still stepped aside as Hanzo moved past and slammed his door. Jesse didn’t want to deal with this, opting to instead grab a cigarillo from his room and head outside, lighting up and inhaling slowly. Letting the smoke rise into the air lazily before trying to make smoke rings. He knew he shouldn’t have intruded but...did he have to be so hostile all the time? He shook his head and stayed outside until he saw the sun rise. He was definitely going to get hell from Angela for this.   


  
_ Shit. He had to do a medical check up still didn’t he. _ He was dreading and avoiding it for so long. Maybe he could just sneak back to bed and feign being asleep. He headed in and right into Angela who immediately grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off.  _ There went that idea. _ She sat him down in the medbay and looked him over.   


  
He tried so hard not to let her know about any of his issues but as soon as she pushed hard on  that spot on his spine he shut his eyes and let out a muffled scream. She made a noise of acknowledgement and typed something up before pulling out an all-too-familiar back brace.   


  
“You knew.”   


  
“I did. Put it on or else.”   


  
“...Yes Angela.”   


  
He took it and put it on, mentally groaning in protest. At least it wasn’t like his original one. This one just protected his back instead of trying to ‘correct’ what was already fused into a mess of pain and issues. Angela let him go after that, reminding him to stop smoking and drinking unless he wants an earlier death than he should get from it.   


  
It all almost seemed like normalcy; the soft voices echoing of the walls in the early light, the smell of what he hoped was Reinhardt cooking breakfast, the very aura of calm over the place. A man could get used to it if he wasn’t too careful.

  
  
**_Never get too comfortable, even around people you know._ **

  
  
And there was his usual Reyes reminder right on cue. He sighed and went to the nearest couch or cushioned area and laid across it, shutting his eyes to try to chase the thought to the back of his mind. Reyes was dead. He had to be.  _ But how would it explain the beanie. _ Probably someone trying to mess with his head. If they had watched his patterning of visits to the place they would have figured it out.   


  
He let his mind drift off into a semi-conscious state, hoping maybe he could fall asleep and have a peaceful dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I don't have any notes this time sorry ;p


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this took me THREE DAYS to write out because I kept hanging it up. FINALLY we see some feelings and also some memories. Also if you decipher the cryptic messages of Ira you get a cookie. Also we finally move into Hanzo's point of view some and we get some...'friendly' interaction between the men. You'll see how it changes soon enough. Also that 17 year gap between Blackwatch and Recall [even if I'm sure it isn't correct canon] has a good reason which you will see soon. Enjoy~

Hanzo just couldn’t figure the...man...out. He had pushed and pushed the other away and yet he kept trying to be close, to make friends. It annoyed him, especially when he tried to go in his room. Sure, he was never in there anyways except to sleep but it was his _private space._ Not even his own brother was allowed in there, or better yet, that damned omnic that hung around his brother. 

  
He hated to admit he was ‘stuck in the past’ but...Everything was moving too fast. Only a few months ago he had found out his brother was alive. Now he was somewhere he never really agreed to with people who seemed more interested in the affairs of others. _No secrets._ He huffed and looked out on the rising sun. Well, if that man was so curious about him, he would do that same. The man was rarely ever in his room either so maybe he could find out what made him tick. What made him so willing to be friendly. 

  
He slipped off the roof, landing with a roll before heading inside. Not many other people would be awake this early, save for the German crusader and maybe their newest addition, Miss Mei Ling. She understood one’s privacy and he could respect that, especially one frozen in time. He crept past the snoring form of McCree on the couch and went to where the sleeping quarters were, going right to McCree’s room, the door wide open. As soon as he stepped in there was a voice. 

  
“Agent Hanzo, you are not authorized access to this room.” 

  
“I don’t care.” 

  
“I will alert Agent McCree.” 

  
“ _He_ won’t care.” 

  
“...Very well.” 

  
The man’s room only had one phrase to describe it. _Disaster zone._ Clothes were all over the floor and furniture and it honestly looked like someone had gone in and set a bomb off. There was an overflowing ashtray and liquor bottles wherever you could look. He sighed and started cleaning up., leaving notes wherever he felt like the idiot needed them. 

  
Once the room was clean it was easy to tell how well lived in it was. The sheets were old and well lived in, possibly balled up under the idiot’s beer gut. The bed itself had a permanent indent of the cowboy’s form. Looks like he slept on his side all the time and always on the right side, facing toward the room and not the wall. Maybe in anticipation for attack? He went to the dresser and made sure there was nothing hidden there. Nothing. 

  
His eyes then fell on the closet and he walked over, steps silent on the ground as he opened it. _Finally._ The closet had a bag in it and he knelt down, opening it. A tiny sing shooter pistol. It looked like it hadn’t been fired in over two decades. A beautiful ring on a necklace chain. _Definitely expensive._ A crumpled up photo of a woman with a child who had what seemed to be food all over his face attached to a frayed and faded First Place ribbon. A faded photograph of a man in a black beanie with what looked like a younger version of Jesse. _He looked handsome._ He tried to shake the thought from his head when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. _Busted._

  
“Now I thought you said going into other people’s rooms was an invasion of privacy.” 

  
“I was cleaning. Your room is a mess.” 

  
“My closet was clean.”

  
“You invade my room, I invade yours.” 

  
“Not really an invasion. Want you out of my bag though.” 

  
Hanzo held up the ring and Jesse immediately tensed up. A look of loss and longing crossed his features for only a moment before he snatched it and turned away, the conversation apparently over. He’d gained a good deal of information from this. 

  
When Hanzo left, Jesse uncurled his hand around the ring, exhaling through his nose. Why did he have to go through his stuff. Why did he have to find _this._ He pulled up the holopad, deciding it was best to finally try to reach out. It had been at least sixteen years after all.

  
  
_Annie,_ _  
_

  
_I don’t know what you’ve gotten up to but I thought it was time for me to apologize. I did you wrong and I know I don’t deserve you but please...I want to make amends. Even if it’s just to let my old mind rest._

  
_As Always Yours,_

_  
_ _Jesse Jandero Havana McCree_

  
  
“Ooooh who’s Annie~”

  
“Christ Genji you scared me!” 

  
“Not answering the question.” 

  
“My...ex fiancée. 

  
“You had an ex fiancée?”

 

“Yeah...A long time ago.”

  
“Seems you still love her. A lot.” 

  
“I do.” 

  
“Oh...Wanna get your mind off it?” 

  
“Yeah. Ham in the vent?” 

  
“Ham in the vent!” 

  
They ran out, laughing like teenagers whilst Hanzo sighed, a hand to his chest. _Maybe he was the fool instead for believing his brother’s tales of McCree liking him._ He walked back to his room, hearing the screams of Miss Angela as soon as the smell of ham started coming from the vents. _Idiots._

  
After getting yelled at by Angela they were stuck on cleaning ham bits out of the vents. Jesse didn’t mind it though since he had time to catch up with Genji. It was nice honestly, just the two of them talking about adventures and the people they met along the way. Eventually the conversation came back to the girl though. 

  
“So what was she like?” 

  
“Well...She was prettier than a bluebell, tongue sharp like a whip. Oh lord heaven must've lost an angel, because she was radiance herself. Her long flaxen curls cascaded down her shoulders, and cute little freckles dotted the peachy skin. Her big blue eyes reminded me of an Oklahoma sky. I swear I fell hard the moment we laid eyes on each other.” 

  
“That was...poetic. So what happened.” 

  
“Started feeling guilty about Reyes. Started going to the grave too often. She thought I was cheating and kicked me out. Threw the ring at me too and broke off the engagement.” 

  
“Super harsh…” 

  
“Right? Still care for her...even after all these years.” 

  
Jesse yawned, the memories making him feel nearly at peace, except for the last one at least. Genji chuckled and poked him in the side, pointing his head towards the sleeping quarters. Well...He _could_ go for a nap right now. 

  
“You sure?” 

  
“Yeah. We’re almost done anyways.” 

  
“Alrighty.” 

  
He headed off to his room and laid down, molding himself into the body groove he made and letting his eyes slip shut. It started out as a dreamless sleep until he was back in his hometown of Santa Fe.

 

 

_He was sitting on Nona’s porch steps, smoking a cigarette with Annie leaning on the railing. The sun was setting and everything was so perfect. He smiled softly and let the smoke from his cigarette float into the air. Then he noticed it was collecting, growing in the sky to darken it with grey clouds. He turned to look for Annie but she was gone. The smoke became a tornado, roaring towards him as words echoed in his head._

  
_  
_ **_“Y o u  a r e  n o t  t h e  o n l y  o n e  n o w  v a q u e r o.”_ **

 

  
  
Jesse sat up with a small yelp, eyes scanning the area until he realized. _Time was slow._ Had he really slipped into communication with Ira from a nightmare? His eye was killing him so he figured it was forced. The figure swirled and formed into that of a teenage boy form and smirked. 

  
_“Sorry to wake you.”_ _  
_

  
“Nice new body. What do you want Ira.” 

  
_“A warning.”_ _  
_

  
“...What kind of warning.” 

  
_“A warning of your past. Beware the boy of Bullseye.”_

  
“...Cryptic as usual.” 

  
_“All will make sense when you return to where you live.”_

  
“Santa Fe...Were you messing with my dreams?!” 

  
_“Adios vaquero.”_

  
His world blurred for a moment before he fell back against the bed, eyes shut. He had been knocked out by his own damn demon again. As soon as he was awake again he made sure to curse the damn thing out before heading out of his room. So...He wasn’t the only one...of what though. Beware the boy of Bullseye. None of it made sense. When he got to the common room he saw Genji and his brother, each with a bag. 

  
“You are finally awake.” 

  
“And...You didn’t see the message. Did you Jesse?” 

  
“Uh...no. I’ll go pack.” 

  
“Idiot.” 

  
Jesse quickly hurried off to his room and checked the mission. It was something in America. Looked like Los Angeles. _Reye’s home._ He shook the thought from his head and packed a bad, heading back and racing to the plan, getting on before it started up. He made sure to sit far from the others so that when they took off they wouldn’t see the pain when his back cracked from the change in pressure. 

  
The plane ride was spent in silence, save for the quiet conversation in Japanese between Hanzo and Genji. Jesse meanwhile was looking through his holopad when a message came up on it and his blood went cold.

  
  
_Jesse,_ _  
_

  
_It’s Nona. Thank god I finally reached you. I don’t have much time left but you need to come home. To Santa Fe. I cannot tell you now because I don’t know if it’s safe. Please Jesse. As my dying wish come home._

  
_Nona_   


 

Jesse decided then and there what he was going to do. During the mission when he figured everyone was asleep, he slipped out into the night and caught the first train back to Santa Fe. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find there but he had to go. He had to fulfil that last wish.

  
He was just terrified of what he would find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The clues to the answer are in his form  
> \- Hanzo can't compute his affection right now but just you wait  
> \- WE WILL SEE THE RETURN OF AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER FROM MCCREE'S YOUTH SOON


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I have decided to make it a double chapter night. I have a lot due this coming week [an exam and a research paper along with another due in two weeks] along with a small convention with friends on Saturday. We find out the answer to the clues and meet A CHARACTER I'VE BEEN WAITING TO INTRODUCE SINCE CHAPTER ONE. Also, we have a pining Hanzo that is no good with his feelings. I told you all once we got to the McHanzo it would go from a slow burn to an inferno. Enjoy.

Hanzo couldn’t believe he left without even a single word! Sure, the mission was basically complete but Genji seemed to worried when he was gone by the morning. Apparently the only other time he’d done it was when he quit Blackwatch and went missing for years.  _ Was he going to do it again? Why did he care? Why was his heart hurting at the very thought of him leaving? _ He decided not to think about it. Now he had a chance to really investigate the cowboy’s room.   


  
The first thing he did when they got back was head there, opening the door to see...It was completely cleaned out. Not even his notes were left from when he had cleaned up the day before.  _ It was like nobody had been here to begin with. _ The only evidence was the bed indent from where Jesse would always sleep. The drawers, the closet, all of it was completely void of clothing. He did find something, wedged between the wall and the bed.   


  
It was a shirt, just a baggy shirt that had been worn by the cowboy maybe a dozen times. He held it in his hand and made sure nobody was around before he smelled it.  _ It smelled like him. _ He sighed and walked back to his own room, shirt in hand. He just needed to sleep. He’d focus on this in the morning.

  
  
_ “Jesse.” _ _   
_

__   
_ “Boss?” _ __   


__   
_ “Stop dozing off. You need to pay attention.” _ __   


__   
_ “It’s been twelve hours! Nobody’s coming.” _ __   


__   
_ Jesse huffed, face in his arms as he laid on his stomach in an alcove of a building. His gun was loosely in his grip and his eyes were half lidded. He was nineteen and bored out of his mind. He reached a hand out to dangle his fingers over the edge before they were smacked by Reyes. Reyes was in his usual Blackwatch gear and had made Jesse dress the same. _ __   


__   
_ “You sure about this tip even boss?” _ __   


__   
_ “I’m sure.” _ __   


__   
_ “Okay your highness.” _ __   


__   
_ “What was that?” _ __   


_   
_ _ “...Nothing.” _

  
  
Jesse’s eyes opened as the train came to a stop. He had slipped his hat off during the ride and had been hiding out on top of the train, dozing off to the rushing wind. He was finally home. He quickly slipped off the train and blended into the crowd, just like he was taught to do. Eventually he found his way back to the place he could always call a home. It looked worse for wear though. The bright colored paint was chipping and fading when years of the desert weather. He could smell the aroma of apple pie from the window though and smiled softly.  _ He’d finally make things right. _   


  
He went to the door and knocked lightly. There was the sound of shuffling footsteps before an old woman answered the door, hair greyed but a soft smile on her features. He couldn’t help but smile back, knowing the face of Nona anywhere.   


  
“Jesse sweetie…”   


  
“Afternoon Miss Oakland.”   


  
“Still you refuse to call me Nona.”   


  
“Just a habit I guess.”   


  
“Well then...you better come in. I have a lot to tell you.”   


  
“Yes ma’am.”   


  
He walked in and set his bag down, sitting down on the couch that groaned from the lack of anything but a light figure upon it. He could see Nona wringing her hands and looking this way and that. Jesse’s heart sank the moment he put it all together.   


  
“She died...Didn’t she.”   


  
“Si...More than ten years ago. I’m sorry Jesse.”   


  
“I...See. How did she go.”   


  
“She was killed. By her husband.”   


  
“She remarried?”   


  
“Only because she knew you’d never come home. She regretted turning you away every moment you were gone...Oh Jesse…”   


  
“No...It’s okay. Where is she buried?”   


  
“The local cemetery. Just like your dear mom.”

 

“Of course. That isn’t it though...Is it.”   


  
“No...Jesse...You…You might have a son.”   


  
Jesse’s world stopped for the fourth time in his life. This time wasn’t from love though. It was from  _ fear. _ He possibly had a son, a child he knew nothing about who was out there somewhere. He got up, his face pale.   


  
“Is he with Annie’s husband?”   


  
“No...Kyle passed away too.”   


  
“Then where.”   


  
“I shouldn’t tell you. It’s better you leave him be in case I am wrong.”   


  
“Nona please...If I have a child I want to make sure he doesn’t make the mistakes I did.”   


  
“He’s with the Black Label Society. It used to be  _ Deadlock. _ ”   


  
“Oh no…”   


  
“Jesse. Don’t throw your life away over him.”   


  
“I have no choice Nona.”   


  
“I understand. Then bring him home.”   


  
Jesse nodded and grabbed his pistol, heading off to gather information. Every person he asked pointed him in the same direction. At least those who were brave enough to meet his eyes and speak to him. The old gorge on Route 66. 

 

He headed back to Nona’s only to change his appearance, styling his hair and changing out his usual armor plating and clothes for a plaid button-down and jeans. He finished by trimming his facial hair to something more manageable and less likely to be spotted. He then walked out and took a calming breath.   


  
“Do you still have my old jacket? And the bike?”   


  
“Yes. The local boys fixed it up recently for me. Good kids.”   


  
He smiled sweetly and hugged her softly before heading out to the shed and opening it up. There was the old brown leather jacket Annie bought him for a three month anniversary with the oil stained purple bandana in the pocket along with his motorcycle that he bought the week before Annie kicked him out.  _ It looked almost brand new. _ He pulled the jacket off the bench and slipped it on, tying the bandana around the lower half of his face before he got on the bike and took off.   


  
“BLACKJACK!”   


  
“What you want old man!”   


  
“You know what you little punk! Your last job was sloppy.”   


  
“So what if I added a few extra bodies. They got in the way.”   


  
A boy with tied back curly chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes crossed his arms and huffed, shrugging as a man yelled at him. He didn’t care if there was a couple of extra bodies or not. A job was a job.   


  
“What else you gonna do boss. Ground me?”   


  
“I could slit your damn throat.”   


  
“God sorry. That what you want?”   


  
“Just shut up and clean.”   


  
“Yes sir.”   


  
The man walked off and BlackJack rolled his eyes, grabbing a broom to sweep the floors. From a first glance the boy wasn’t much to look at. His skin was a soft tan with freckles speckling his face from his cheeks, across his nose and dotting his shoulders likely as if someone had splattered him with a brush. He wore a simple faded green button down and dark brown pants along with a good set of boots. Around his neck there seemed to be a locket, a picture of his mom and a symbol in silver welded onto the inside. He looked up when a stranger walked into the bar.   


  
“We’re fucking closed.”   


  
“Lookin for a man named Pa Deadlock.”   


  
He shrugged and turned to the door with the employee sign, opening it and calling for the man to come back. When the man returned Andrew went back to sweeping. He couldn’t get a good look at the guy since he was wearing a black hoodie. Didn’t have any visible weapons though. He turned away to sweep and then heard a shot ring out. He turned fast, pulling his two eight shooter pistols but...Nobody was there. His leader was dead on the floor and nothing but black fog was any clue someone had been there.   


  
“What the fu-GAH!”   


  
He fell to his knees, holding his hand over his right eye as he shook.  _ Dammit not now. Damn thing always chose the worst moments to give him pain. _ He quickly holstered his guns and gripped his hands to his legs, shutting his eyes as people ran out. One rushed over to him.   


  
“Holy shit Andy you okay?”   


  
“Y-Yeah I uhm...I got hit by the fucker.”   


  
“Alright. Come on. I got ya.”   


  
“Thanks Jacob.”   


  
He was helped into the back as some of the other Black Labelers disposed of their former leader’s body. The pain did subside after a bit and he was alright enough to go back to working. Now he had blood to clean up instead of just dust.   


  
Jesse should have been there already but now he had something much more important to deal with. He had his gun drawn, pointed at the dark figure with the bone mask. The entire area was freezing even if it was still bright and hot in the New Mexican desert and all he could smell was death.   


  
“Hola vaquero.”   


  
“Who the fuck are you! What do you want!”   


  
“You will see.”   


  
The figure raised its shotgun and fired as Jesse rolled out of the way. When he went to return fire... _ It was gone. _ A chill went up his spine much like at Reyes’ grave. He knew it had been real since there was now shotgun pellets in his bike.   


  
“Figures…”   


  
He got on the bike and finished his ride as darkness finally fell upon the land. He reached a bar he knew way too well and parked his bike, heading inside.  _ It reminded him so much of his youth. _ All the place needed him and Farris drunkenly singing in the corner and...He stopped when his dark brown eyes met Hazel ones.   


  
He was sure this was Annie’s son because of  _ how much he looked like her. _ Those soft features and bright smile reminded him so much of his Annabelle it  _ hurt. _ He took a calming breath and pulled the bandana around his neck as he went to the bar. Thank god he changed his appearance since it seemed there was a dartboard with his picture on it.  _ Grudges die hard. _ The teenager only gave him another glance before going back to talking with someone.   


  
“What’s your poison.”   


  
“Whiskey.”   


  
A glass was poured for him and he sipped it, letting him presence fade out into the room, making it seem like he ‘belonged’ there. He did at one point in his life but...that had been a long time ago. Every so often he would steal a glance to the teen and notice little things like how his hair was just like Jesse’s or how he breathed so shallowly it was like his ribs weren’t moving at all.   


  
_ His eye was burning. _ Jesse blinked a few times but he knew damn well why. Ira had been warning him about  _ this. _ About the fact he had a son.  _ But what was the Bullseye about. _ He heard an alarm and saw people scattering as they took off for weapons but the boy instead smirked and pulled out two eight shooters. 

 

 

_ Oh no _

 

 

Jesse immediately pulled out his gun and ducked behind the bar as gunfire erupted, shattering the windows and putting holes in everything. The boy meanwhile was behind a table, returning fire with everything he had.

 

Jesse could already see the smoke forming around the boy’s legs and he felt his own eye pounding in his skull and making his back ache to a new extreme. The boy winced before reloading his gun and smirking, his voice echoing a bit.   


  
“Bullseye.”   


  
The boy emptied his gun and McCree forced himself to do the same to appease Ira as the fighting finally died down. Jesse came out from behind the bar and came up behind Andrew. He had to take this slow.   


  
“Kid. You alright?”   


  
“E-Eh?”   


  
Jesse could see the boy’s eyes completely out of focus and hear him wheezing.  _ So it blinded him. He’d have to figure out the lungs later. _ The boy’s eyes eventually came back into focus and glared at the man.   


  
“What you want old man.”   


  
“Hey. Hey I was just checking if you were okay.”   
  


“I’m fine. You have a bullet in your shoulder.”   


  
“Not the first time.”   


  
“Heh. What’s your name old man.”   


  
“Jesse. Yours?”   


  
“Andrew. People call me Andy.”   


  
“Full name?”   


  
“Not tellin you.”   


  
“Fine. I will. Andrew Oakland. Annie’s kid.”   


  
“You knew my mama?”   


  
“In a way. Your grandmother is worried about you.”   


  
“That old bat? She still thinks I’m some outlaw’s kid. I knew my dad. He was an asshole.”   


  
“Well that ain’t nice.”   


  
_ “He killed my mother. I was seven.” _

  
“Guessing you killed him.”   


  
“I…”   


  
“Don’t worry. I know it’s common around here.”   


  
“I did. So what.”   


  
“Figured as much. I’m here to give you a choice.”   


  
“What you mean.”   


  
“Well your little group’s basically dead and I hear police sirens. You can come back to your grandmother’s and start a life away from crime...Or you end up in jail which judging by the look on your face you have been to and don’t want to go back.”   


  
“...Yeah I’ll take the first option.”   


  
Jesse walked out to his bike which Andrew stared at. They both knew well enough the teen had seen it a million times. He didn’t think much of it though and got on as they headed back to Santa Fe and to Nona’s place. Andrew yelped as soon as the yelling started and a shoe hit him square in the forehead.   


  
“ANDRES JANDERO CONDEJO JULIO HAVANA OAKLAND!”   


  
“S-Si?”   


  
“You are in so much trouble.”   


  
Jesse chuckled and walked in, Nona’s features softening as she went to Jesse and took his hands. It was as if they were communicating telepathically before she let go and turned back to Andrew.   


  
“Go take a shower and get ready for dinner!”   


  
“Fiiiine.”   


  
Hestripped his shirt off and Jesse saw the playing card with a bullseye on it tattooed into the boy’s right shoulder blade. He didn’t even question it and instead focused on Nona.   


  
“He’s rough around the edges.”   


  
“Just like a certain cowboy I knew.”   


  
“I couldn’t disagree. I was rebellious.”   


  
“Well then...You will take care of him?”   


  
“I promise. I won’t abandon him like I did to Annie.”   


  
“Good boy.”   


  
Back at Overwatch, Genji went to wake his older brother for dinner. What he found was Hanzo dead asleep and clutching one of Jesse’s favorite shirts to him like a child would hold a stuffed animal. Well...At least he knew his assumption of him liking Jesse was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Andrew has the DeadEye too [Making it that children of the users are more likely to get it]  
> \- NONA'S RETURN  
> \- We finally meet the little shit know as ANDREW


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my convention is over and I spent a good few hours [close to twelve] in the hospital! Don't worry though, I'm okay. I got some cysts that I thought was my appendix trying to explode. I'll be fine in a few days hopefully. Now we have some real action for this chapter and the return of the character I promised! Also Hanzo goes on an adventure. Will they ever reunite? In other news, I'm plotting another McHanzo fic involving my favorite trope, raising children! Also there's a nice oc fic or two coming soon when I get around to it so look out for those! Enjoy~

Three months. He’d been gone three months now and the ache had not gone away. He could admit it now... _He actually had feelings for the cowboy._ But now he was gone. He was gone and there was nothing he could do about it but hope he came back. There was nothing else _to do._ Miss Mei had started hanging out with Zarya and the newer ‘recruits’ were...A little too excitable for his taste. One was a gamer apparently named Hana Song who Genji would often play video games with. The other was a musician _or something_ named Lucio. The musician though...he was a hacker. Hanzo thought maybe he could finally learn more about Jesse MCree.

 

One day he decided enough was enough and approached the Brazilian who was sprawled across the couch with Genji and Hana on the floor gaming. _That was Jesse’s couch. He’d so often see the other sleeping there._ He took a breath and cleared his throat. You could feel the tension in the air thicken. 

  
“Lucio.” 

  
“Uh yeah du-siiiir.” 

  
“I need the help of your hacking skills.” 

  
“Uh sure sir.” 

  
Genji had his helmet off and you could see the smirk plastered to his face. Hanzo frowned at him and walked off, Lucio trailing behind looking like he was ready to accept death. When they got to the Brazilian's room, Lucio sat down and rolled his shoulders as he pulled his wheeled chair to the computer. 

  
“Alright. What you looking for exactly?” 

  
“The files of Jesse McCree.” 

  
“You mean Eastwood?” 

  
“...What?” 

  
“The cowboy the seniors talk about. I thought I’d call him Eastwood.”

 

“O...kay.”

  
“Anyways wasn’t he like...Covert Ops or something?” 

  
“I don’t know. I know nothing of him.” 

  
“Oh this will be fun.” 

  
Lucio cracked his knuckles and started to furiously type. He could honestly say he never understood things like this and he wasn’t really in the mood to learn. Eventually there was a dinging noise and Lucio rejoiced, a file on the screen. 

  
“Man that was locked up tight! You want me to leave you here to read it?” 

  
“Yes. That would be wise.” 

  
Lucio shot out of the room like a rocket as Hanzo sat down. _This would be how he found Jesse. People like that...idiot always stuck to patterns._ He sighed softly and began reading, hoping to find any information on where he went.

 

 

_Real Name Jesse Jandero Havana McCree_

_  
_ _Age 37 [currently]_

_  
_ _Nationality American_

_  
_ _Occupation Bounty Hunter_

_  
_ _Base Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA_

_  
_ _Affiliation Overwatch (formerly), Blackwatch (formerly), Deadlock (formerly)_

  
_Much of Jesse’s past is unknown...Even to me. McCree had already made a name for himself as a member of the notorious Deadlock Gang, which trafficked in illicit weapons and military hardware throughout the American Southwest, when he and his associates were busted in an Overwatch sting operation thanks to me. With his expert marksmanship and resourcefulness, he was given the choice between rotting in a maximum-security lockup or joining Blackwatch, Overwatch's covert ops division. He chose the latter. Wise kid. Wiser man in my opinion._

_  
_ _Although he was initially cynical, he came to believe that he could make amends for his past sins by righting the injustices of the world. McCree appreciated the flexibility afforded to the clandestine Blackwatch. He was given instruction by me; Gabriel Reyes, Blackwatch leader. I do not know what happened but tensions mounted. Wanting no part of the infighting, McCree set off alone and went underground._

  
_  
[Edited by: Winton]_

  
_  
Not much is known about the next part of his life other than sightings in his hometown of Santa Fe where nobody would dare turn him in. McCree resurfaced several years later as a gunslinger for hire. But while McCree's talents were sought after by parties great and small, he fought only for causes he believed were just. _

_McCree caught a ride on a hypertrain headed for Houston. Caught a ride, as in, sitting on top of the train as it barreled along, for, in his words, "they don't sell folks like me a ticket." Nor did hypertrains make it easy for soldiers to rappel down from helicopters onto, but that's what started happening, as McCree observed such an action taking place. Staying out of sight, he could tell that the operatives weren't after him, but he was concerned. First, the operatives (or at least their method of insertion) were operating in a manner similar to Blackwatch. Secondly, if McCree's face was spotted, he knew that he'd take the heat for whatever was about to go down. Making a decision, McCree vaulted into a train car and quickly dispatched a number of the operatives. He told the stunned passengers to stay in their seats, and that things would be over shortly._ _  
_

_  
_ _Moving on, McCree saved one of the train staff from being executed. Apparently the soldiers were after something at the back of the train, so McCree headed that way. He dispatched the enemy soldiers there, but only after hearing one of their number call for backup. His face now out in the open, McCree settled down to enjoy the ride, only to learn via a news report that the robbery had indeed been laid on him, and from a steward, learnt that the train would arrive in Houston in three minutes. He asked that the truth of what happened be relayed to the police, and that the arrival time be "fudged," in order to give him time to make his exit._

 

  
Hanzo stared at the screen for the longest time, mostly at how much Jesse had changed in the photos. In the Deadlock mugshot he looked like a filthy and scrawny kid who wanted to rip your testicles off with his teeth. In Blackwatch the photos went from a grinning and happy young man to a man with worry in his eyes. And the recent one...The recent one showed a conflicted man who had secrets weighing him down. He didn’t even hear his brother come in until the other poked Hanzo’s sides which caused him to yelp. 

  
“G-GENJI!” 

  
“Haaaaaaa~ Yes?” 

  
“Don’t scare me.” 

  
“Well you were too distracted ogling the pictures to notice me. I had to get your attention somehow.” 

  
“Shut up. What do you want.” 

  
“I wanted to check on you...You’re going to go after him...Right?” 

  
“I am.” 

  
“I won’t stop you. Don’t do anything stupid.” 

  
“I won’t.” 

  
Back in Santa Fe, Jesse was working up a sweat as he fixed the porch swing for Nona who had become confined to a wheelchair. He’d been disciplining Andy as well, teaching him how to not get himself thrown into the nearest maximum security prison. 

  
There was also the stories which Jesse liked to tell when they were working. Life lessons mixed in that he had gathered over the years. It almost made him feel like the father he should have been. _The father he might still be able to be._

  
“Hand me that wrench.” 

  
“Sure.” 

  
“You’ve been quiet today. Something up?” 

  
“Yeah. That ring you wear. Around your neck. It’s like the one my mom wears in…” 

  
“In what?” 

  
“In my locket.” 

  
“Pretty observant for a teenager. I’ve been keeping it hidden except when I sleep. Unless you’re thinking of smothering me.” 

  
“Heh. Thought about it old man.” 

  
“Glad to know. Glad I keep my peacekeeper in reach too.” 

  
“It’s just a joke geez.” 

  
“As you were saying?” 

  
“What really were you to my mom.” 

  
“Three months and you finally ask?” 

  
“Whatever. Fine. Don’t tell me.” 

  
“No. No you deserve the truth. I was her ex. We were engaged but she accused me of things I never did.” 

  
“Yeah, totally believable there.” 

  
“It was true. I was grieving and took it out on her.” 

  
“How long ago was it?” 

  
“Well...How old are you.” 

  
“Sixteen?” 

  
“Sounds about right.” 

  
Andy stared at him for what seemed like the longest time as realization crossed his face. There there was sadness, anger, and so much more. It took him a while to form his next words but they were accompanied with tears. Jesse softly put the wrench down. 

  
“You left my mom, pregnant and alone. She ended up with a horrible man! All because of your pride.” 

  
“It wasn’t that at all. I didn’t even know she was pregnant. Back then if a woman kicked you out you tucked your tail between your legs. Usually they go home but...I had no home to go back to. Your momma was living in it. I was an idiot, a man who barely knew how to function outside of a battle. I left Santa Fe long behind. I figured she moved on since she didn’t want a criminal like me.” 

  
“Jesse we both know that’s not true at all.” 

  
“Nona...Sorry for waking you.” 

  
Nona wheeled herself out with a knowing smile, soft yet concerned. Jesse immediately got up and hung his head in guilt as Andy was trying to figure out what was happening. 

  
“It’s alright dear. Now no more of that moving on you hear? She only married that scum of a man, who I disapproved of mind you, because she was scared you wouldn’t come back. She knew you’d turn tail and run. God only knows where you went until your face was all over the news in Houston. Now stop beating yourself up alright? The past is past. Nothing we can change. Andrew. Come here.” 

  
“Yes Abuela?” 

  
Nona lightly wiped away his tears and then took his hands, a serious look to her eye as she gave them as good of a squeeze as she could before smiling. 

  
“I know it was hard losing your mother. For the both of us. It was hard for him too. He had no ill will to her. I’m not going to be around forever after all. I brought him here so you could go with him.” 

  
“But-” 

  
“No buts Andrew. Not even one as nice as mine.” 

  
“Grandma…” 

  
“Well it is. Now I want you to be ready to do as I ask. When I pass I want you to leave Santa Fe with Jesse. He’s your father and now, your guardian too.” 

  
“B- Okay.” 

  
“Good boy. Now I’m tired. Take me to my room or you get the shoe.” 

  
“Yes grandma.” 

  
As the two disappeared inside Jesse finished the porch swing. He could see it in her eyes. She knew she was dying. He’d have to pack his things. Andrew’s too. He sighed and put the tools away before making dinner. Andrew was completely oblivious and told Jesse about how he’d seen a Deadlock member and nearly got shot for ‘being a filthy traitor’. When it was dark Jesse went to pack the bags. He heard Andrew’s choked yelp when he found Nona unresponsive. 

  
He brought the bags to the door and went into Nona’s room where Andrew was crying. He immediately walked over and pulled Andrew into a hug. He didn’t fight back. He just cried. Once he was calm he left the room to get anything he needed. It gave Jesse a moment alone. 

  
“I’ll take care of him Nona. I promise. I won’t let harm come to him. I’ll be the dad I should have been. The _man_ I should have been so long ago.” 

  
He laid his hand on top of the old woman’s for a moment before heading out with Andrew. Jesse’s hat rested on top of his son’s head as they managed to be seated inside the train. No need for disguises for a grieving father and son. Jesse decided it was time he passed on his lessons. 

  
“I’m going to teach you everything you need to go.” 

  
“Okay. Where are we going?” 

  
“Italy. Now let’s start from the beginning. Lesson one, always tread softly. Lesson two, never take the quiet for granted. Lesson three, remember faces. Lesson four, always take kindness with a grain of salt. Lesson number five, never take a plate of food for granted. Lesson number six, take absolutely nothing for granted. Remember everything.” 

  
“Four through six are the same thing!” 

  
“Well they came from my mother...She tended to forget the lessons she gave.” 

  
“Oh...Is there more?” 

  
“Lesson number seven, sleep when you can. Lesson number eight, don’t dwell on the past. Nine, don’t destroy the things you hold dear.” 

  
“Your mom...er...my grandmother. She seemed really wise.” 

  
“She was. She loved me to the very end when she died.” 

  
“Oh…” 

  
“It’s alright. It was a long time ago. Do you want to hear more?” 

  
“Yeah.” 

  
“Lesson ten, never leave a soul alive. Eleven, don’t leave any evidence when sneaking about. Twelve, don’t assume anything. Thirteen, always remember your enemies’ weaknesses. Don’t judge a place you know by heart.If life starts getting easy that means you’re getting soft. Getting soft means getting dead real fast. Finally, never get too comfortable, even around people you know.” 

  
“Where did you learn all that?” 

  
“A name named Gabriel Reyes...You should get some rest. Long trip ahead.” 

  
“Sure…” 

  
The rest of the train ride was spent is relative peace, Andrew occasionally waking up and Jesse telling him stories of his past and trying to cheer him up. The plane ride was much the same. When they touched down in Venice, Jesse had changed his and Andrew’s appearance. Jesse now had a dark blue button down on and nice khaki pants. Andrew was wearing jeans and a baggy shirt. 

  
“How come we had to change our clothes.” 

  
“Because I’m a wanted man and you need to learn survival.” 

  
“Oh.” 

  
If Jesse could remember right there was a church nearby with a loose stone... _Aha._ Inside was a well polished silvery rosary with a tag attached to it. He pulled it out and read it before slipping it into his pocket. 

  
“The fuck?” 

  
“Hush Andrew. We’re going somewhere safe for a while.” 

  
“And it has to do with that rosary?” 

  
“You’ll see.” 

  
The two walked to a small villa of houses and Jesse knocked on the door, hearing a crash and violent swearing. _Well, he definitely had the right house now. He was sure of it._ He heard a gruff voice on the other side of the door. 

  
“I swear to god George if that is you I’m not returning your damn potato peeler!” 

  
“The demon calls for the hawk to soar.” 

  
“Holy shit! JESSE?!” 

  
The door slammed open to reveal a short man, possibly five feet and four inches, a little older than Jesse with rust colored hair tied back with a green ribbon. Brown eyes seemed so shocked yet so glad to see the other as they exchanged a small hug, the sound of screaming children noticeable inside. When they parted Jesse got a good look at the other. The man had on a simple white button up with the sleeves rolled up and what looked like cargo pants along with an apron covered in flour stains. Scars littered what parts of his body he could see. Then a small child with blonde hair tugged on Vincent’s pant leg. 

  
“Si Gracie?” 

  
“Jacob won’t let me cuddle Stella!” 

  
“Okay okay go get your mother. I’ll be in shortly.” 

  
The little girl ran back inside and they both exchanged knowing glances before Jesse pulled the rosary out and handed it over, Andrew’s eyes following the exchange. 

  
“Two kids?” 

  
“Three. Jacob’s thirteen, Gracie’s six and Stella is a few months old.” 

  
“You old dog…” 

  
“I’m guessing this fine man’s your boy?” 

  
“Well…” 

  
“I’m Andrew sir. Are you...Vincent Scoperi?” 

  
“Si.” 

  
“My uh...He’s told me a lot about you.” 

  
Vincent gave Jesse the ‘you fucking didn’t’ glare and Jesse looked away nervously. The exchange was silent yet quick before Vincent’s eyes softened and he stepped aside. 

  
“You’re welcome in my home as long as you need it. The both of you. Now go get settled. Dinner will be ready soon and you both look like you need a good meal!” 

  
Vincent headed in and so did Jesse. It took Andrew a minute to follow in but when he did all he could feel was the warmth and joy of family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- VINCENT'S RETURN. AND HE HAS A HAPPY FAMILY.  
> \- Andrew is coming to grips with life now  
> \- The lessons are all of the ones Reyes and Jesse's mom taught Jesse. A throwback for y'all~  
> \- I wrote this partly IN THE HOSPITAL cause the nurses kept waking me up to check my blood pressure  
> \- Also a nod to my favorite McHanzo fic in Lucio's nickname for Jesse


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, I reached the end sooner than I had realized. I thought I had a few more chapters of material in my system. But we have ended on a good note in my opinion. I never expected this to become as popular as it has and I plan to begin another McHanzo soon enough. I know early on I had hoped to have more sex/sexual acts in this fic as a way to learn to write them but this slowly became more of my version of fluff. I am glad you all came on this adventure with me and I hope you stay when I begin my next one.

_ So this was Santa Fe. _ He hadn’t been expecting much but...It really was desolate desert and buildings. Honestly, It looked like one good windstorm could wipe the place off the map so  _ how was it still full of life! _ Hanzo had changed his appearance so he wouldn’t stick out too much. A long sleeve shirt and slacks seemed the best option here since they were breathable enough to last however long it took to find Jesse.   


  
_ Jesse _ ...What would he even say to him when they met again.  _ Hi I came all this way because I think I might be I love with you? _ That was more foolish than the idiot himself. He sighed and walked into the town, noticing how people would either avoid his gaze or glare back.  _ Peculiar. _ Eventually he crossed into a section that was less dense and more...open would be a good word to describe it. Well it should have been if there wasn’t a crowd of people around a faded pastel house. He walked over and tried to figure out what had happened, asking a woman with skin as dark as tar and salt and pepper hair along with a simple house dress and apron on her person.   


  
“Excuse me?”   


  
“Hm? You askin me?”   


  
“Yes. What is going on here?”   


  
“Well well, an outsider curious bout a crowd. You can get killed that way.”   


  
“I think I can manage.”   


  
“Suuure. Anyways old lady Oakland passed in her sleep. Shame too. Her grandson was finally shapin up right.”   


  
“Grandson?”   


  
“Yeah Andy. Kid was wrapped up in Black Label. Glorified Deadlock more like.”   


  
“Deadlock?”   


  
“Yeah, they’re a gang with a lot of territory. Black Label works under them. They’ve been using lots little gangs ever since the Overwatch thing.”   


  
“Overwatch has been here…”   


  
“Yeah like twenty some odd years ago. It’s not nice to gossip round the dead. Why don’t you come over for some coffee. Name’s Georgia by the way. Georgia Grace.”   


  
“Hanzo.”

 

Hanzo followed the older woman with a apron tied around her waist to a nearby house. It seemed she lived completely alone and the entire lace reminded him of a magazine ad. The place was surprisingly spotless for the desert town but...cozy. Like a mother’s home. He sat down at the table in the kitchen as he sighed.   


  
“Miss Grace.”   


  
“You can call me Georgia, sugar.”   


  
“Georgia...do you live alone?”   


  
“Sadly. Husband passed away a year ago. Bless his heart.”   


  
“No children?”   


  
“Honey my kids are all grown or died in the crisis. It hit hard round here, especially for people like Isabel.”   


  
“Isabel?”   


  
“Isabel McCree. Her man up and left her with a baby. She made due with what she could but she worked herself to death. We didn’t know what even happened to Jesse until he popped up in prison a few times. Joined up with Deadlock. Then Overwatch came in and he was gone again. Poof.”   


  
“Poof?”   


  
“Mhm. Poof. Gone. Didn’t show up again until everything blew up. Met a nice girl and almost settled down. They split though and he left again. Still on the news from time to time.”   


  
“Did he come back?”   


  
“Actually yes. Even came round to ask about my sons. Told him straight they left this town behind. Moved out east. I think he left a few days ago if you’re looking for him.”   


  
“I was…”   


  
“He’s a slippery one, sorry. He left with Nona’s grandson. They look a lot alike.”   


  
They ended up chatting for awhile until it was turning dusk and Hanzo had to leave.  _ A complete dead end but he learned a lot about Jesse’s past. No wonder he was so kind.  _ There was also the matter of him having a child possibly. That was what the lady had said. He did have an idea though. She had talked about an Italian that also survived the fall of Blackwatch.  _ Next stop, Italy. _   


  
Meanwhile across the globe Jesse was teaching Andrew how to cook. Andrew had also seemed to have accepted the fact Jesse might be his dad. Or at least, he was now. Both men seemed to really love Italy though, even if it was a shell of what it used to be from what Vincent had told Jesse. Apparently it was once a hub for art and music. It looked more like the aftermath of a war zone...just like the rest of the world.   


  
Jesse looked up when he realized Andrew was talking to him and he quirked a brow as his son shook his head and muttered a soft ‘nevermind’. He sighed and turned away from what he was doing.   


  
“What’s on your mind.”   


  
“It’s nothing.”   


  
“It’s something.”   


  
“Well...Mister Scoperi’s family. It’s just so happy here.”   


  
“Mhm?”   


  
“Could we...Could we stay here? I mean I like it here. It reminds me of when…”   


  
“I know...When your mother was alive.”   


  
“Yeah.”   


  
“Well probably not here in his house. But we can find somewhere to live. Anywhere you want. I have all the money in the world.”   


  
“Ha yeah right pops.”   


  
“Hey it’s true! I have money stashed all over the world. Where would you want to live?”   


  
“Well I think...Somewhere warm but somewhere with snow. I’ve never seen snow. Somewhere I’d fit in.”   


  
“How about Spain.”   


  
“Spain?”   


  
“Yeah. It’s got all that and more. We could get a small house and I’ll take care of you. Teach you everything you ever need to know.”   


  
“I’d like that...dad.”   


  
Jesse smiled softly and hugged Andrew before getting back to the cooking. When that was over and dinner was eaten they went out to walk the streets until they came to cemetery. Jesse stopped and thought for a moment before stepping inside with Andrew. He had to know something. Vincent had said he had a little brother after all. And three sisters. He eventually found it, a row of headstones.   


  
“Sad...Isn’t it Jesse.”   


  
“Oh! Sorry Vincent.”   


  
“No. It’s alright. You were curious. They all died young. Before I joined Blackwatch. Except for my little brother. He went with Overwatch. Died in the blast. I didn’t get to him in time.”   
  


“I’m so sorry.”   


  
“He died believing there was a future. I’d rather have had it that way.”   


  
Suddenly the air went cold and both father and son reached for guns that weren’t there. Vincent tossed Jesse his gun and pulled out a few knives. Jesse could feel his eye itching.  _ There was trouble. _ Andrew pressed close to his father, rubbing at his own eye to try to get it to calm down. Shadows seemed to dance and move just out of view and Vincent pressed close.   


  
“Damn demon’s back.”   


  
“This happened to you too before Vincent?!”   


  
“Thing keeps trying to kill me but stops. I think it’s trying to drive me insane.”   


  
“Dad I don’t like this!”   


  
“Shh.”   


  
“Sorry.”   


  
Finally the figure formed and you could practically hear the smirk in its’ laughter. Jesse raised his gun but something felt wrong...Very wrong. Then he saw the glint of a helmet.  _ They weren’t alone. Definitely Talon. _   


  
“What do you want.”

 

“You know what vaquero.  _ Revenge. _ ”   


  
“...Reyes?!”   


  
“The one and only.”   


  
Reyes took the mask off and Jesse’s stomach nearly crawled out his mouth.  _ He looked so wrong. _ Parts of his face you could see down to the bone and others were just writhing bits of flesh and darkness. His eyes were stained red and those teeth... Those teeth looked like some sort of predator’s. He put the mask back on and raised his shotgun.   


  
Vincent threw a knife but it only seemed to go through him and they realized what this was. It was a trap. No way out, no way for someone to get in.  _ It was judge, jury and executioner. _   


  
“W-Why Reyes! We thought you died!”   


  
“I did. But some people can’t let people die with dignity.”   


  
_ Angela... _ He already knew she was the cause of all of this. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. The world slowed. His own instincts had kicked in and he let loose his entire barrel into Reyes out of preservation. Not just himself though. For his best friend. For his own son. He saw Reyes stumble back and the world came back into focus as his own son grabbed his gun and reloaded it as Reaper got back up.   


  
“If it isn’t the Black Label boy...Guess you are just like your father. A traitor to your own kind.”   


  
“I ain’t like my dad! I ain’t like my mom either! I’m my own person!”   


  
“Well now you’ll be dead.”   


  
Jesse ran forward just as the shot went off and gunfire came from all directions. And then...silence. He opened his eyes slowly to the shotgun pressed to his forehead. This was how it ended...Not even able to tell Hanzo. Though it didn’t matter now. He shut his eyes and accepted his fate.   


  
That was until he heard what sounded like a roar and then demonic screaming before silence. He didn’t dare open his eyes, too scared of what he might see. He heard groaning nearby and coughing, two distinct tones.  _ Vincent and Andrew. They weren’t dead. _   


  
“Get up...idiot.”   


  
His eyes opened fast to see Hanzo standing above him. He quickly got to his feet, feeling something sharp between his flesh and bioware. One quick look told him it was a gunshot. He got lucky. He rushed to help Andrew up next who had a few rounds in his leg and one in his abdomen. Vincent wasn’t standing up at all. Jesse already knew what it meant.  _ Spinal injury. _ Andrew lightly pushed his dad away but fell back against him as Hanzo got Vincent onto Jesse’s back.   


  
“We have to go.”   


  
“Where’s Reyes.”   


  
“No time. He will be back.”   


  
“How do you know!”   


  
“A soldier told me. Now go!”   


  
The four of them rushed off back to Vincent’s house and an ambulance was called. The ride was completely in silence but at some point Hanzo had placed his hand on top of Jesse’s.   


  
Once wounds were treated and bullets removed, Hanzo ordered a transport back to Gibraltar. Andrew slept against McCree and the two older men talked, softly as if too loud of a word would wake the exhausted teenager.   


  
“You should have told me you had a son.”   


  
“I didn’t know either.”   


  
“Why did you leave.”   


  
“I had to. I had no choice.”   


  
“Yes you did. You left m- us!”   


  
“What was that? You...You stuttered or something.”   


  
“It was nothing.”   


  
“No it was something. I know it was.”   


  
Silence passed between the two for the longest time as both men tried to work out everything they wanted to say, every word stuck on their tongues. Hanzo finally broke the silence by clearing his throat and speaking.   


  
“When you left...I felt an odd emptiness to me. As if someone had dimmed all the light of the world. I do not understand how or why but...I think...I…”   


  
“Heh. You fell for me?”   


  
“Yes.”   


  
“Well then I better make sure not to mess this up.”   


  
As time passed they became closer, never affectionate in public but cuddling close together at night. Jesse’s nightmares subsided but did not disappear. Andrew accepted his new life and how his world would continue to change. Life would be hard but slowly, they would all heal. After all, there was still a million lessons still left to learn.


End file.
